tihvavf  of  Che  'theolo0ical  ^tminavy 

PRINCETON    •   NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 

Mrs.  R.B.  Edwards 


Edwards,  Jonathan,  1703- 

1758. 
Thoughts  on  the  revival  of 


THOUGHTS 


APR   lo    ib: 

REVIVAL   OF   RELIdlON 


G 


m 


NEW  ENGLAND,  1740. 

TO   WHICH   IS   PREFIXED 

A  NARRATIVE 

OF  THE 

SURPRISING  WORK  OF  GOD, 

IN 

NORTHAMPTON,  MASS.,  1735. 


BY  JONATHAN  EDWARDS,  A.M., 

PASTOR  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST  IN  NORTHAMPTON,  AND  AFTERWARDS  PRESIDENT 
OF  NASSAU  HALL  COLLEGE,  PRINCETON,  N.J. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIETY, 

150  NASSAU. STREET,   NEW-YORK. 


This  edition  is  reprinted  from  the  Worcester  edition  of  Presi- 
dent Edwards'  works,  with  some  correction  of  inaccuracies  of 
style,  and  the  omission,  in  three  or  four  instances,  of  denomina- 
tional terms  which  might  be  considered  reproachful  to  some  evan- 
gelical christians.  The  several  parts  of  the  work  have  also  been 
subdivided  with  appropriate  heads,  and  a  new  table  of  contents 
prepared. 


CONTENTS. 


NARRATIVE   OF   THE   SURPRISING   WORK 

OF  GOD,  1735, 7 

General  History  of  the  work,            ....  7 
The  character  of  the  work,  as  illustrated  in  its  influence 

upon  individuals, 28 

The  conversion  of  Abigail  Hutchinson,      .        ,        .  73 

Conversion  of  Phebe  Bartlet, 85 

Gradual  withdrawing  of  the  Spirit,    ....  94 


THOUGHTS     ON     THE     REVIVAL    OF    RE- 
LIGION IN  NEW  ENGLAND,  .        .        103 


PART  I. 
Showing   that   the    EXTRAORDiNiTRr   work    that 

HAS     OF    LATE    BEEN    GOING    ON    IN    THIS    LAND, 

IS    A    GLORIOUS    WORK    OF    GoD,  .  ,  .  107 

1.  Error  in  judging  of  the  work  a  jpnon,  ".         .         107 

2.  Error  in  not  judging  of  the  work  by  Scripture  as  a 

whole, Ill 

3.  Error  in  rejecting  the  work  as  a  whole,  on  account 

of  incidental  defects  in  it,         .         .         .         .         134 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

4.  Evidence  that,  notwithstanding  defects,  this  i^  a  real 

work  of  God, 150 

5.  Genuineness  of  the  work  illustrated  by  examples, 

particulai-ly  in  the  case  of  one  individual,        .         160 

6.  The  work  not  only  genuine,  but  glorious,      .         .         174 


PART  II. 

Showing  the  obligations  that  all  are  under 
to  acknowledge,  rejoice  in,  and  promote 
this  work,  and  the  great  danger  of  the 
contrary, 183 

1.  The  danger  of  being  slow  to  acknowledge  the  work 

of  God, 183 

2.  Reasons  for  behoving  that  the  great  work  of  God 

for  the  world's  conversion  may  begin  in  America,       190 

3.  The  peril  of  coming  not  to  the  helj)  of  the  Lord  in 

the  great  happy  day  of  his  power  and  salvation,       198 
k'    4.  Men  in  authority,  and  especially  ministers  of  the 

Gospel,  bound  to  acknowledge  the  work  of  God,       216 


PART  III. 

Showing,    in    many  instances,   wherein   the  sub- 
jects, OR  zealous  promoters    or  THE  work, 

HAVE    BEEN    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED,  .  .  236 

1.  The  complaint  that  ministers  address  themselves  too 
much  to  the  affections,  and  with  great  earnest- 
ness of  voice  and  manner,        ....         238 


CONTENTS.  5 

2.  The  complaint  of  speaking  terror  to  those  already 

alarmed,  instead  of  comforting  them,       .         .         244 

3.  The  complaint  of  having  too  frequent  meetings,  and 

spending  too  much  time  in  religion,  .         .         252 

4.  The  complaint  that  too  much  is  made  of  outcries  and 

effects  on  the  body, 053 

5.  The  complaint  of  men's  earnestness  in  warning  and 

enti'eating  one  another,    .         .         .         .         .         262 

6.  The  complaint  of  too  much  singing,  and  of  religious 

meetings  of  children, 268 


PART  IV. 
Showing  what    things   are    to  be    corrected   or 

AVOIDED    IN    promoting  THIS    WORK,    OR    IN    OUR 
BEHAVIOR    UNDER    IT, 273 

1.  The  duty  to  consider  and  guard  against  errors  into 

which  the  promoters  of  religion  may  fall,        .         273 

2.  Spiritual  pride  a  prominent  cause  of  eiTor  in  a  revi- 

val of  religion,        .         .         .         .         .         .         281 

3.  Spiritual  pride — Some  of  its  effects  and  traits,       .         286 

4.  Influence  of  wrong  principles — Claims  to  immediate 

revelation — Incorrect  views  of  the  prayer   of 

faith, 307 

5.  Wrong  principles — Perversion  of  the  teachings  of 

the   Spirit — Securing    a   present   good,  regard- 
less of  consequences,        .....         322 

6.  Wrong  principles — Incorrect  views  of  an  attestation 

of  Providence — Undervaluing  external  order,  335 

7.  Errors  from  neglect  of  some  things,  which  the  devil 

improves  to  our  hmt  —  In  the  inward  experi- 
ences of  christians,  and  their  external  effects,  346 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 


8.  Some  particular  errors  wliicli  have  arisen  from  seve- 

ral of  the  above  mentioned  causes — censuring 
others  as  unconverted, 368 

9.  Some  particular  errors — Lay  exhorting — Misman- 

agement of  singing  the  praises  of  God,    .         .         381 


PART  V. 
Showing  positively  what  ought  to  be  done  to 

PROMOTE    this    WORK, 399 

1.  Stumbhng-blocks  or  hinder ances  should  be  removed,       399 

2.  Things  that  must  be  done  more  directly  to  advance 

the  work, 407 

3.  Duties  of  ministers,  and  of  men  of  influence  and 

wealth,  in  advancing  this  work,      .         .         .         413 

4.  Some  duties  devolving  upon  all  in  general,  .         426 

5.  We  should  be  faithful  in  moral  duties,  .         .         436 


NARRATIVE 

OF    THE 

SURPRISING  WORK  OF  GOD. 

1735. 


GENERAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    WORK. 
To  the  Rev.  Dr.  Coltnan, 

Rev.  and  Honored  Sir  :  Having  seen  your  letter  to 
my  honored  uncle  Williams,  of  Hatfield,  of  July  20, 
wherein  you  inform  him  of  the  notice  that  has  been 
taken  of  the  late  wonderful  work  of  God  in  this  and  some 
other  towns  in  this  county,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Watts  and 
Rev.  Dr.  Guyse  of  London,  and  the  congregation  to 
which  the  last  of  these  preached  on  a  monthly  day  of 
solemn  prayer ;  as  also  of  your  desire  to  be  made  more 
perfectly  acquainted  with  it,  by  some  of  us  on  the  spot : 
and  having  been  since  informed  by  my  uncle  WiUiams, 
that  you  desire  me  to  undertake  it,  I  would  now  do  it 
in  as  just  and  faithful  a  manner  as  in  me  lies. 

The  people  of  the  county  in  general,  I  suppose,  are  as 
sober,  and  orderly,  and  good  sort  of  people  as  in  any 
part  of  New  England ;  and  I  believe  they  have  been 
preserved  the  freest  by  far,  of  any  part  of  the  country, 
from  en-or,  and  variety  of  sects  and  opinions.  Our  being 
so  far  within  land,  at  a  distance  from  seaports,  and  in  a 
comer  of  the   country,  has    doubtless   been   one  reason 


8  NARRATIVE    OF 

why  we  have  not  been  so  much  coiTupted  with  vice  as 
most  other  parts.  But  without  question  the  religion  and 
good  order  of  the  county,  and  their  purity  in  doctrine, 
has,  under  God,  been  very  much  owing  to  the  great  abi 
lities  and  eminent  piety  of  my  venerable  and  honored 
grandfather  Stoddard.  I  suppose  we  have  been  the 
freest  of  any  part  of  the  land  from  unhappy  divisions  and 
quarrels  in  our  ecclesiastical  and  religious  affairs,  till  the 
late  lamentable  Springfield  contention.* 

We  being  much  separated  from  other  parts  of  the  pro- 
vince, and  having  comparatively  but  little  intercourse 
with  them,  have  from  the  beginning,  till  now,  always 
managed  our  ecclesiastical  affairs  within  ourselves ;  it  is 
the  way  in  which  the  county,  from  its  infancy,  has  gone 
on  by  the  practical  agreement  of  all,  and  the  way  in 
which  our  peace  and  good  order  has  hitherto  been 
maintained. 

The  town  of  Northampton  is  of  about  eighty-two 
years  standing,  and  has  now  about  two  hundred  fami- 
lies ;  which  mostly  dwell  more  compactly  together  than 
any  town  of  such  size  in  these  parts  of  the  country; 
which  probably  has  been  an  occasion  that  both  our  cor- 
ruptions and  reformations  have  been  from  time  to  time 
the  more  swiftly  propagated  from  one  to  another  through 
the  town.  Take  the  town  in  general,  and  so  far  as  I  can 
judge,  they  are  as  rational  and  intelligent  a  people  as 
most  I  have  been  acquainted  with  :  many  of  them  have 

*  The  Springfield  contention  relates  to  the  settlement  of  a  minister 
there,  which  occasioned  too  warm  debates  between  some,  both  pastors 
and  peojile  that  were  for  it,  and  others  that  were  against  it,  on  account  of 
.their  different  apprehensions  about  his  principles,  and  about  some  steps 
that  were  taken  to  procure  his  ordination. 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  9 

been  noted  for  religion,  and  particularly  have  been  re- 
markable for  their  distinct  knowledge  in  things  that 
relate  to  heart  religion,  and  christian  experience,  and 
their  great  regards  thereto. 

I  am  the  third  minister  that  has  been  settled  in  the 
town  :  the  Rev.  Mr.  Eleazar  Mather,  who  was  the  first, 
was  ordained  in  July,  1669.  He  was  one  whose  heart 
was  much  in  his  work ;  abundant  in  labors  for  the  good 
of  precious  souls,  he  had  the  high  esteem  and  great 
love  of  his  people,  and  was  blessed  with  no  small  suc- 
cess. The  Rev.  Mr.  Stoddard,  who  succeeded  him,  came 
first  to  the  town  the  November  after  his  death,  but  was 
not  ordained  till  September  11,  1672,  and  died  February 
11,  1728-9.  So  that  he  continued  in  the  v/ork  of  the  mi- 
nistry here,  from  his  first  coming  to  town,  near  sixty 
years.  And  as  he  was  eminent  and  renowned  for  his 
gifts  and  gi'aces,  so  he  was  blessed,  from  the  beginning, 
with  extraordinary  success  in  his  ministry,  in  the  conver- 
sion of  many  souls.  He  had  five  harvests  as  he  called 
them  :  the  first  was  about  fifty-seven  years  ago  ;  the  se- 
cond about  fifty-three  years ;  the  third  about  forty ;  the 
fourth  about  twenty-four ;  the  fifth  and  last  about  eigh- 
teen years  ago.  Some  of  these  times  were  much  more 
remarkable  than  others,  and  the  ingathering  of  souls 
more  plentiful.  Those  that  were  about  fifty-three,  and 
forty,  and  twenty-four  years  ago',  were  much  greater 
than  either  the  first  or  the  last ;  but  in  each  of  them,  1 
have  heard  my  grandfather  say,  the  greater  part  of  the 
young  people  in  the  town  seemed  to  be  mainly  concern- 
ed for  their  eternal  salvation. 

After  the  last  of  these  came  a  far  more  degenerate 
time  (at  least  ainong  young  people)  I  suppose  than  ever 
.        I* 


10  NARRATIVE    OF 

before.  Mr.  Stoddard,  indeed,  had  the  comfort  before  he 
died,  of  seeing  a  time  when  there  was  no  small  appear- 
ance of  a  divine  work  amongst  some,  and  a  considerable 
ingathering  of  souls,  even  after  I  v>^as  settled  with  him  in 
the  ministry,  which  was  about  two  years  before  his 
death ;  and  I  have  reason  to  bless  God  for  the  great  ad- 
vantage I  had  by  it.  In  these  two  years  there  were  near 
twenty  that  Mr.  Stoddard  hoped  to  be  savingly  convert- 
ed; but  there  was  nothing  of  any  general  awakening. 
The  greater  part  seemed  to  be  at  that  time  very  insensi- 
ble to  the  things  of  religion,  and  engaged  in  other  cares 
and  pursuits.  Just  after  my  grandfather's  death  it  seem- 
ed to  be  a  time  of  extraordinary  dulness  in  religion  ;  li- 
centiousness for  some  years  greatly  prevailed  among  the 
youth  of  the  town ;  they  were  many  of  them  very  much 
addicted  to  night  walking,  and  frequenting  the  tavern, 
and  lewd  practices,  wherein  some  by  their  example  ex- 
ceedingly corrupted  others.  It  was  their  manner  very 
frequently  to  get  together  in  assemblies  of  both  sexes, 
for  mirth  and  jollity,  which  they  called  frolics ;  and  they 
would  often  spend  the  greater  part  of  the  night  in  them, 
without  any  regard  to  order  in  the  families  they  belonged 
to  :  and  indeed  family  government  did  too  much  fail  in 
the  town.  It  was  become  very  customary  with  many  of 
our  young  people  to  be  indecent  in  their  carriage  at 
meeting,  which  doubtless  would  not  have  prevailed  to 
such  a  degree,  had  it  not  been  that  my  grandfather, 
through  his  great  age,  (though  he  retained  his  powers 
surprisingly  to  the  last,)  was  not  so  able  to  observe  them. 
There  had  also  long  prevailed  in  the  town  a  spirit  of  con- 
tention between  two  parties,  into  which  they  had  for 
many  years  been   divided,  by  which   was   maintained  a 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  11 

jealousy  one  of  the  other,  and  they  were  prepared  to 
oppose  one  another  in  all  public  affairs. 

But  in  two  or  three  years  after  Mr.  Stoddard's  death, 
there  began  to  be  a  sensible  amendment  of  these  evils ; 
the  young  people  showed  more  of  a  disposition  to  hearken 
to  counsel,  and  by  degrees  left  off  their  frolicking,  and 
grew  observably  more  decent  in  their  attendance  on 
public  worship,  and  there  were  more  that  manifested  a 
religious  concern  than  there  used  to  be. 

At  the  latter  end  of  the  year  1733  there  appeared  a 
very  unusual  flexibleness  and  yielding  to  advice  in  our 
young  people.  It  had  been  too  long  their  manner  to 
make  the  evening  after  the  Sabbath,*  and  after  our  pub- 
lic lecture,  to  be  especially  the  times  of  their  mirth  and 
company  keeping.  But  a  sermon  was  now  preached  on 
the  Sabbath  before  the  lecture,  to  show  the  evil  tendency 
of  the  practice,  and  to  persuade  them  to  reform  it ;  and 
it  was  urged  on  heads  of  families,  that  it  should  be  a 
thing  agreed  upon  among  them,  to  govern  their  families 
and  keep  their  children  at  home  at  these  times  ;  and 
withal  it  was  more  privately  proposed  that  they  should 
meet  together  the  next  day,  in  their  several  neighbor- 
hoods, to  know  each  other's  minds  :  which  was  accord- 
ingly done,  and  the  suggestion  complied  with  throughout 
the  town.  But  parents  found  little  or  no  occasion  for  the 
exercise  of  government  in  the  case  ;  the  young  people 
declared  themselves  convinced  by  what  they  had  heard 
from  the  pulpit,  and  were  willing  of  themselves  to  com- 


*  It  must  be  noted  that  it  has  never  been  our  manner  to  observe  the 
evening  that  follows  the  Sabbath,  but  that  which  precedes  it,  as  part  of 
holv  time. 


12  NARRATIVE    OF 

ply  with  the  counsel  that  had  been  given :  and  it  v^as 
immediately,  and,  I  suppose,  almost  universally  compli- 
ed with  ;  and  there  was  a  thorough  reformation  of  these 
disorders  thenceforward,  which  has  continued  ever  since. 
Presently  after  this,  there  began  to  appear  a  remarkable 
j*eligious  concern  at  a  little  village  belonging  to  the  con- 
gregation, called  Pascommuck,  where  a  few  families  were 
settled,  at  about  three  miles  distance  from  the  main  body 
of  the  town.  At  this  place  a  number  of  persons  seemed 
to  be  savingly  wrought  upon.  In  the  April  following,  anno 
1734,  there  happened  a  very  sudden  and  awful  death  of 
a  young  man  in  the  bloom  of  his  youth ;  who  being  vio- 
lently seized  with  a  pleurisy,  and  taken  immediately  very 
delirious,  died  in  about  two  days ;  which  (together  with 
what  was  preached  publicly  on  that  occasion)  much  af- 
fected many  young  people.  This  was  followed  with 
another  death  of  a  young  married  woman,  who  had  been 
considerably  exercised  in  mind  about  the  salvation  of  her 
soul  before  she  was  ill,  and  was  in  great  distress  in  the 
beginning  of  her  illness ;  but  seemed  to  have  satisfying 
evidences  of  God's  saving  mercy  to  her  before  her  death  ; 
so  that  she  died  very  full  of  comfort,  in  a  most  earnest 
and  moving  manner  warning  and  counselling  others. 
This  seemed  much  to  contribute  to  the  solemnizing  of 
the  spirits  of  many  young  persons ;  and  there  began 
evidently  to  appear  more  of  a  religious  concern  on  peo- 
ple's minds. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  I  pro2:)Osed  to  the  young  people 
that  they  should  agree  among  themselves  to  spend  the 
evenings  after  lectures  in  social  religion,  and  to  that  end 
.to  divide  themselves  into  several  companies  to  meet  in 
various  parts  of  the  town ;  which  was  accordingly  done, 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  13 

and  those  meetings  have  been  since  continued,  and  the 
example  imitated  by  elder  people.  This  was  followed 
^  hy  the  death  of  an  elderly  person,  which  was  attended 
with  many  unusual  circumstances,  by  which  many  were 
much  moved  and  affected. 

About  this  time  began  the  great  noise  that  was  in  this 
part  of  the  country  about  Arminianism,  which  seemed 
to  appear  with  a  very  threatening  aspect  upon  the  in- 
terests of  religion  here.  The  friends  of  vital  piety  trem- 
bled for  the  issue ;  but  it  seemed,  contrary  to  their  fear, 
strongly  to  be  oveiTuled  for  the  promoting  of  religion. 
Many  who  looked  on  themselves  as  in  a  Christless  con- 
dition seemed  to  be  awakened  by  it,  with  fear  that 
God  was  about  to  withdraw  from  the  land,  and  that  we 
should  be  given  up  to  heterodoxy  and  corrupt  principles, 
and  that  then  their  opportunity  for  obtaining  salvation 
would  be  past ;  and  many  who  were  brought  a  little  to 
doubt  about  the  truth  of  the  doctrines  they  had  hitherto 
been  taught,  seemed  to  have  a  kind  of  trembling  fear 
with  their  doubts,  lest  they  should  be  led  into  by-paths, 
to  their  eternal  undoing  :  and  they  seemed  with  much 
concern  and  engagedness  of  mind  to  inquire  what  was 
indeed  the  way  in  which  they  must  come  to  be  accepted 
with  God.  There  were  then  some  things  said  publicly 
on  that  occasion,  concerning  justification  by  faith  alone. 

Although  great  fault  was  fouftd  with  meddling  with 
the  controversy  in  the  pulpit,  by  such  a  person,  at  that 
time,  and  though  it  was  ridiculed  by  many  elsewhere; 
yet  it  proved  a  word  spoken  in  season  here  ;  and  was 
most  evidently  attended  with  a  very  remarkable  blessing 
of  heaven  to  the  souls  of  the  peple  in  this  town.  They 
received  thence  a  general  satisfaction   with  respect  to 


14  NARRATIVE    OF 

the  main  thing  in  question,  which  they  had  been  in 
trembling  doubts  and  concern  about ;  and  their  minds 
were  engaged  the  more  earnestly  to  seek  that  they  might 
come  to  be  accepted  of  God,  and  saved  in  the  way  of 
the  Gospel,  which  had  been  made  evident  to  them  to 
be  the  true  and  only  way.  And  then  it  was,  in  the  latter 
part  of  December,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  began  extraor- 
dinarily to  set  in,  and  wonderfully  to  work  among  us ; 
and  there  were,  very  suddenly,  one  after  another,  five  or 
six  persons,  who  were,  to  all  appearance,  savingly  con- 
verted, and  some  of  them  wrought  upon  in  a  very  re- 
markable manner. 

Particularly,  I  was  surprised  with  the  relation  of  a 
young  woman,  who  had  been  one  of  the  greatest  company- 
keepers  in  the  whole  town  :  when  she  came  to  me,  I  had 
never  heard  that  she  was  become  in  any  wise  serious, 
but  by  the  conversation  I  then  had  with  her,  it  appeared 
to  me,  that  what  she  gave  an  account  of,  was  a  glorious 
work  of  God's  infinite  power  and  sovereign  grace ;  and 
that  God  had  given  her  a  new  heart,  truly  broken  and 
sanctified.  I  could  not  then  doubt  of  it,  and  have  seen 
much  in  my  acquaintance  with  her  since  to  confirm  it. 

Though  the  work  was  glorious,  yet  I  was  filled  with 
concern  about  the  effect  it  might  have  upon  others  :  I 
was  ready  to  conclude  (though  too  rashly)  that  some 
would  be  hardened  by  it,  in  carelessness  and  loose- 
ness of  life ;  and  would  take  occasion  from  it  to  open 
their  mouths  in  reproaches  of  religion.  But  the  event 
was  the  reverse,  to  a  wonderful  degree ;  God  made  it,  I 
suppose,  the  greatest  occasion  of  awakening  to  others  of 
any  thing  that  ever  came  to  pass  in  the  town.  I  have 
had  abundant  opportunity  to  know  the  effect  it  had,  by 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  15 

my  private  conversation  with  many.  The  news  of  it 
seemed  to  be  almost  like  a  flash  of  lightning  upon  the 
hearts  of  young  people,  all  over  the  town,  and  upon 
many  others.  Those  persons  among  us  who  used  to  be 
farthest  from  seriousness,  and  that  I  most  feared  would 
make  an  ill  improvement  of  it,  seemed  greatly  to  be 
awakened  by  it ;  many  went  to  talk  with  her  concern- 
ing what  she  had  met  with ;  and  what  appeared  in  her 
seemed  to  be  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  that  did  so. 

Presently  upon  this  a  great  and  earnest  concern  about 
the  great  things  of  religion  and  the  eternal  world  be- 
came universal  in  all  parts  of  the  town,  and  among  per- 
sons of  all  degrees  and  all  ages  ;  the  noise  among  the  dry 
bones  waxed  louder  and  louder ;  all  other  talk  but  about 
spiritual  and  eternal  things  was  soon  thrown  by ;  all  the 
conversation  in  all  companies,  and  upon  all  occasions, 
was  upon  these  things  only,  unless  so  much  as  was  ne- 
cessary for  people  carrying  on  their  ordinary  secular  bu- 
siness. Other  discourse  than  of  the  things  of  religion 
would  scarcely  be  tolerated  in  any  company.  The 
minds  of  people  were  wonderfully  taken  off  from  the 
world  ;  it  was  treated  among  us  as  a  thing  of  very  little 
consequence  ;  they  seemed  to  follow  their  worldly  busi— , 
ness  more  as  a  part  of  their  duty  than  from  any  disposi- 
tion they  had  to  it ;  the  temptation  now  seemed  to  lie  on 
the  other  hand  to  neglect  worldly  affairs  too  much,  and 
to  spend  too  much  time  in  the  immediate  exercises  of  re- 
ligion, which  thing  was  exceedingly  misrepresented  by 
reports  that  were  spread  in  distant  parts  of  the  land,  as 
though  the  people  here  had  wholly  thrown  by  all  worldly 
business,  and  betaken  themselves  entirely  to  reading  and 
praying,  and  such  like  religious  exercises. 


16  NARRATIVE    OP 

But  though  the  people  did  not  ordinarily  neglect  their 
worldly  business,  yet  there  then  was  the  reverse  of  what 
commonly  is  :  religion  was  with  all  classes  the  great  con- 
cern, and  the  world  was  a  thing  only  by  the  by.  The  only 
thing  in  their  view  was  to  get  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
and  every  one  appeared  pressing  into  it :  the  engaged- 
ness  of  their  hearts  in  this  great  concern  could  not  be 
hid  ;  it  appeared  in  their  very  countenances.  It  then  was 
a  dreadful  thing  amongst  us  to  lie  out  of  Christ,  in  dan- 
ger every  day  of  dropping  into  hell ;  and  what  persons' 
minds  were  intent  upon  was  to  escape  for  their  lives,  and 
Xofiy  from  the  wrath  to  come.  All  v/ould  eagerly  lay  hold 
of  opportunities  for  their  souls ;  and  were  wont  very 
often  to  meet  together  in  private  houses  for  religious  pur- 
poses :  and  such  meetings,  when  appointed,  were  wont 
greatly  to  be  thronged. 

There  was  scarcely  a  single  person  in  the  town,  either 
old  or  young,  that  was  left  unconcerned  about  the  great 
things  of  the  eternal  world.  Those  that  were  wont  to  be 
the  vainest  and  loosest,  and  those  that  had  been  most  dis- 
posed to  think  and  speak  slightly  of  vital  and  experi- 
mental religion,  were  now  generally  subject  to  great 
awakenings.  And  the  work  of  conversion  was  carried  on 
in  a  most  astonishing  manner,  and  increased  more  and 
more  ;  souls  did,  as  it  were,  come  by  flocks  to  Jesus 
Christ.  From  day  to  day,  for  many  months  together, 
might  be  seen  evident  instances  of  sinners  brought  out 
of  darkness  i7ito  marvellous  light,  and  delivered  out  of  a 
horrible  fit,  and  from  the  miry  clay,  and  set  upon  a  rock, 
with  a  new  song  of  praise  to  God  in  their  mouths. 

This  work  of  God,  as  it  was  carried  on,  and  the  num- 
ber of  true  saints  multiplied,  soon  m_ade  a  glorious  altera- 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  17 

tion  in  the  town  ;  so  that  in  the  spring  and  summer  fol- 
lowing, anno  1735,  the  town  seemed  to  be  full  of  the 
presence  of  God :  it  never  was  so  full  of  love,  nor  so 
full  of  joy,  and  yet  so  full  of  distress  as  it  was  then. 
There  were  remarkable  tokens  of  God's  presence  in 
almost  every  house.  It  was  a  time  of  joy  in  families  on 
account  of  salvation  being  brought  to  them  ;  parents  re- 
joicing over  their  children  as  new  born,  and  husbands 
over  their  wives,  and  wives  over  their  husbands.  The  go- 
ings of  God  tvere  then  seen  in  his  sanctuary,  God^s  day  loas 
a  delight,  and  his  tabernacles  were  amiable.  Our  public 
assemblies  were  then  beautiful ;  the  congregation  was 
alive  in  God's  service,  every  one  earnestly  intent  on  the 
public  worship,  every  hearer  eager  to  drink  in  the  words  I 
of  the  minister  as  they  came  from  his  mouth  ;  the  assem-  S 
bly  in  general  were,  from  time  to  time,  in  tears  while  / 
the  word  was  preached  ;  some  weeping  with  sorrow  and 
distress,  others  with  joy  and  love,  others  with  pity  and 
concern  for  the  souls  of  their  neighbors. 

Our  public  praises  were  then  greatly  enlivened ;  God 
was  then  served  in  our  psalmody,  in  some  measure,  in 
the  beauty  of  holiness.  It  has  been  observable  that  there 
has  been  scarce  any  part  of  divine  worship  wherein  good 
men  amongst  us  have  had  grace  so  drawn  forth,  and 
their  hearts  so  lifted  up  in  the  ways  of  God  as  in  singing 
his  praises  :  our  congregation  excelled  all  that  ever  I 
knew  in  the  external  part  of  the  duty  before,  the  men 
generally  carrying  regularly  and  well  three  parts  of  mu- 
sic, and  the  women  a  part  by  themselves  :  but  now  they 
were  evidently  wont  to  sing  with  unusual  elevation  of 
heart  and  voice,  which  made  the  duty  pleasant  indeed. 

In  all  companies,  on  other  days,  on  whatever  occasions 


18  NARRATIVE    OF 

persons  met  together,  Christ  was  to  be  heard  of  and  seen 
in  the  midst  of  them.  Our  young  people  when  they  met 
were  wont  to  spend  the  time  in  talking  of  the  excellency 
and  dying  love  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  gloriousness  of  the 
way  of  salvation,  the  wonderful,  free,  and  sovereign  grace 
of  God,  his  glorious  work  in  the  conversion  of  a  soul,  the 
truth  and  certainty  of  the  great  things  of  God's  word,  the 
sweetness  of  the  views  of  his  perfections,  &c.  And  even 
at  weddings,  which  formerly  were  occasions  of  mirth 
and  jollity,  there  was  now  no  discourse  of  any  thing  but 
the  things  of  religion,  and  no  appearance  of  any  but 
spiritual  mirth. 

Those  amongst  us  that  had  been  formerly  converted, 
were  greatly  enlivened  and  renewed  with  fresh  and  ex- 
traordinary incomes  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  though  some 
much  more  than  others,  according  to  the  measure  of  the 
gift  of  Christ :  many  that  before  had  labored  under  dif- 
ficulties about  their  own  state,  had  now  their  doubts  re- 
moved by  more  satisfying  experience  and  more  clear 
discoveries  of  God's  love. 

When  this  work  of  God  first  appeared,  and  was  so 
extraordinarily  carried  on   amongst   us    in    the  winter, 
others  round  about  us  seemed  not  to  know  what  to  make 
-  of  it ;  and  there  were  many  that  scoffed  at  and  ridiculed 
it ;  and  some  compared  what  we    called  conversion   to 
J'/'  c<^'^,),  certain  distempers.    But  it  was  very  observable  of  many 
^c^  ^-^^        that  occasionally  came  amongst  us  from  abroad  with  dis- 
f-*  J  '         regardful  hearts,  that  what  they  saw  here  cured  them  of 
*  A^,  such  a  temper  of  mind.     Strangers  were  generally  sur- 

prised to  find  things  so  much  beyond  what  they  had  heard, 
and  were  wont  to  tell  others  that  the  state  of  the  town 
could  not  be  conceived  of  by  those  that  had  not  seen  it. 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  19 

The  notice  that  was  taken  of  it  by  the  people  that  came 
to  town  on  occasion  of  the  court  that  sat  here  in  the  be- 
ginning of  March,  was  very  observable.  And  those  that 
came  from  the  neighborhood  to  our  public  lectures  were 
for  the  most  part  remarkably  affected.  Many  that  came 
to  town  on  one  occasion  or  other  had  their  consciences 
smitten  and  awakened,  and  went  home  with  wounded 
hearts,  and  with  impressions  that  never  wore  off  till  they 
had  hopefully  a  saving  issue ;  and  those  that  before  had 
serious  thoughts,  had  their  awakenings  and  convictions 
greatly  increased.  And  there  were  many  instances  of 
persons  that  came  from  abroad  on  visits  or  on  business, 
that  had  not  been  long  here  before,  who  were,  to  all  ap- 
pearance, savingly  wrought  upon,  and  partook  of  the 
shower  of  divine  blessing  that  God  rained  down  here,-> 
and  went  home  rejoicing;-  till  at  length  the  same  work 
began  evidently  to  appear  and  prevail  in  several  other 
towns  in  the  county. 

In  the  month  of  March  the  people  in  South  Hadley 
began  to  be  seized  with  deep  concern  about  the  things 
of  religion,  which  very  soon  became  universal ;  and  the 
work  of  God  has  been  very  wonderful  there,  not  much, 
if  any  thing,  short  of  what  it  has  been  here  in  propor- 
tion to  the  size  of  the  place.  About  the  same  time  it  be- 
gan to  break  forth  in  the  west  part  of  Suffield,  (where  it 
has  also  been  very  great,)  and  it  soon  spread  into  all  l---' 
parts  of  the  town.  It  next  appeared  at  Sunderland,  and 
soon  overspread  the  town ;  and  I  believe  was  for  a  sea- 
son not  less  remarkable  than  it  was  here.  About  the  same 
time  it  began  to  appear  in  a  part  of  Deerfield,  called 
Green  River,  and  afterwards  filled  the  town,  and  there 
has  been  a  glorious  work  there  :  it  began  also  to  be  ma-^"^^ 


20  NARRATIVE    OF 

nifest  in  the  south  part  of  Hatfield,  in  a  place  called  the 
Hill,  and  after  that  the  whole  town,  in  the  second  week 
in  April,  seemed  to  be  seized,  as  it  were  at  once,  with 
concern  about  the  things  of  religion ;  and  the  work  of 
God  has  been  great  there.  There  has  been  also  a  very 
general  awakening  at  West  Springfield  and  Long  Mea- 
dow ;'  and  in  Enfield  there  was,  for  a  time,  a  pretty  ge- 
neral concern  amongst  some  that  before  had  been  very 
loose  persons.  About  the  same  time  that  this  appeared 
at  Enfield,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bull,  of  Westfield,  informed  me 
that  there  had  been  a  great  change  there,  and  that  more 
had  been  done  in  one  week  there  than  in  seven  years  be- 
fore. Something  of  this  work  likewise  appeared  in  the 
first  precinct  in  Springfield,  principally  in  the  north  and 
south  extremes  of  the  parish.  And  in  Hadley,  old  town, 
there  gradually  appeared  so  much  of  a  work  of  God  on 
souls,  as  at  another  time  would  have  been  thought  worthy 
of  much  notice.  For  a  short  time  there  was  also  a  very 
great  and  general  concern  of  the  like  nature  at  North- 
field.  And  wherever  this  concern  appeared,  it  seemed 
not  to  be  in  vain ;  but  in  every  place  God  brought  sav- 
ing blessings  with  him,  and  his  word,  attended  with  his 
Spirit,  (as  we  have  all  reason  to  think,)  returned  not  void. 
It  might  well  be  said  at  that  time  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
ty, Who  are  these  that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as  doves  to  their 
windows  ? 

As  what  other  towns  heard  of  and  found  in  this,  was 
a  great  means  of  awakening  them  ;  so  our  hearing  of  such 
a  swift  and  extraordinary  propagation,  and  extent  of  this 
work,  did  doubtless,  for  a  time,  serve  to  uphold  the  work 
amongst  us.  The  continual  news  kept  alive  the  talk  of 
religion,  and  did  greatly  quicken  and  rejoice  the  hearts 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  21 

of  God's  people,  and  mucli  awaken  those  that  looked  on 
themselves  as  still  left  behind,  and  made  them  the  more 
earnest  that  they  also  might  share  in  the  great  blessing 
that  others  had  obtained. 

This  remarkable  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
which  thus  extended  from  one  end  to  the  other  of  this 
county,  was  not  confined  to  it,  but  many  places  in  Con-^ 
necticut  have  partaken  in  the  same  mercy ;  as  for  instance, 
the  first  parish  in  Windsor,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Marsh,  was  thus  blest  about  the  same  time  as 
we  in  Northampton,  while  we  had  no  knowledge  of  each 
other's  circumstances :  there  has  been  a  very  great  inga- 
thering of  souls  to  Christ  in  that  place,  and  something 
considerable  of  the  same  work  began  afterwards  In  East 
Windsor,  my  honored  father's  parish,  which  has  in  times 
past  been  a  place  favored  with  mercies  of  this  nature 
above  any  on  this  western  side  of  New  England,  except- 
ing Northampton ;  there  having  been  four  or  five  seasons 
of  the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit  to  the  general  awakening' 
of  the  people  there  since  my  father's  settlement  amongst . 
them. 

There  was  also  the  last  spring  and  summer  a  wonder- 
ful work  of  God  carried  on  at  Coventry,  under  the  minis- 
try of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Meacham :  I  had  opportunity  to  con- 
verse with  some  of  the  Coventry  people,  who  gave  me  a 
very  remarkable  account  of  the  surprising  change  that 
appeared  in  the  most  rude  and  vicious  persons  there.  A 
similar  work  was  also  very  great  at  the  same  time  in  a 
part  of  Lebanon,  called  the  Crank,  where  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Wheelock,  a  young  gentleman,  is  lately  settled  ;  and 
there  has  been  much  of  the  same  at  Durham,  under  the 
ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chauncey ;  and  to  appearance 


22  NARRATIVE    OF 

no  small  ingathering  of  souls  there.  And  likewise  amongst 
many  of  the  young  people  in  the  first  precinct  in  Strat- 
ford, under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gould ;  w^here 
the  v\^ork  vi^as  much  promoted  by  the  remarkable  conver- 
sion of  a  young  woman  that  had  been  a  great  company- 
keeper,  as  it  was  here. 

Something  of  this  work  appeared  in  several  other  towns 
in  those  parts,  as  I  was  informed  when  I  was  there  the 
last  fall.  And  we  have  since  been  acquainted  with  some- 
thing very  remarkable  of  this  nature  at  another  parish  in 
Stratford,  called  Ripton,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Mills.  And  there  was  a  considerable  revival  of 
religion  last  summer  at  New  Haven  old  town,  as  I  was 
once  and  again  informed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Noyes,  the  mi- 
nister there,  and  by  others,  and  by  a  letter  which  I  very 
lately  received  from  Mr.  Noyes,  and  also  by  information 
we  have  had  otherwise.  This  flourishing  of  religion  still 
continues,  and  has  lately  much  increased.  Mr.  Noyes 
writes,  that  many  this  summer  have  been  added  to  the 
church,  and  particularly  mentions  several  young  persons 
that  belonged  to  the  principal  families  of  that  town. 

There  has  been  a  degree  of  the  same  work  at  a  part 
of  Guilford ;  and  very  considerable  at  Mansfield,  under 
the  ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Eleazar  Williams ;  and  an 
unusual  religious  concern  at  Tolland ;  and  something  of 
it  at  Hebron  and  Bolton.  There  was  also  no  small  effu- 
sion of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  north  parish  in  Preston, 
in  the  eastern  part  of  Connecticut,  which  I  was  informed 
of,  and  saw  something  of  it  when  I  was  the  last  autumn 
at  the  house  and  in  the  congregation  of  the  Rev.  Mr, 
Lord,  the  minister  there ;  who  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Owen, 
of  Groton,  came  up  hither  in  May,  the  last  year,  on  pur- 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  23 

pose  to  see  the  work  of  God  here ;  and  having  heard  va- 
rious and  contradictory  accounts  of  it,  were  careful  when 
they  were  here  to  infoim  and  satisfy  themselves  ;  and  to 
that  end  particularly  conversed  v\rith  many  of  our  people  ; 
which  they  declared  to  be  entirely  to  their  satisfaction, 
and  that  the  one  half  had  not  been  told  them,  nor  could 
be  told  them.  Mr.  Lord  told  me  that,  when  he  got  home, 
he  informed  his  congregation  of  what  he  had  seen,  and 
that  they  were  greatly  affected  with  it,  and  that  it  proved 
the  beginning  of  the  same  work  amongst  them,  which 
prevailed  till  there  was  a  general  awakening,  and  many 
instances  of  persons  who  seemed  to  be  remarkably  con- 
verted. I  also  have  lately  heard  that  there  has  been  some- 
thing of  the  same  work  at  Woodbury. 

But  this  shower  of  Divine  blessing  has  been  yet  more 
extensive  :  there  was  no  smtill  degree  of  it  in  some  parts 
of  New  Jersey,  as  I  was  informed  when  I  was  at  New- 
York,  (in  a  long  journey  I  took  at  that  time  of  the  year 
for  my  health,)  by  some  people  of  New  Jersey,  whom  I 
saw :  especially  the  Rev.  Mr.  William  Tennent,  a  minis- 
ter, who  seemed  to  have  such  things  much  at  heart,  told 
me  of  a  very  great  awakening  of  many  in  a  place  called 
the  Mountains,  under  the  ministry  of  one  Mr.  Cross ;  and 
of  a  very  considerable  revival  of  religion  in  another  place 
under  the  ministry  of  his  brother,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gilbert 
Tennent ;  and  also  at  another  placfe,  under  the  ministry 
of  a  very  pious  young  gentleman,  a  Reformed  Dutch  mi- 
nister, whose  name,  as  I  remember,  was  Frelinghuysen. 

This  seems  to  have  been  a  very  extraordinary  dispen- 
sation of  Providence  :  God  has,  in  many  respects,  gone 
out  of,  and  much  beyond  his  usual  and  ordinary  way.  />- 
The  work  in  this  town,  find  some  others  about  us,  ha^ 


24  NARRATIVE    OF 

been  extraordinary  on  account  of  the  universality  of  jt, 
affecting  all  classes,  sober  and  vicious,  high  and  lov^,  rich 
and  poor,  wise  and  unwise ;  it  reached  the  most  consider- 
able families  and  persons  to  all  appearance  as  much  as 
others.  In  former  awakenings  the  bulk  of  the  young  peo- 
ple have  been  greatly  affected ;  but  old  men  and  little 
children  have  been  so  now.  Many  of  the  last  have,  of  their 
own  accord,  formed  themselves  into  religious  societies,  in 
different  parts  of  the  town :  a  loose  careless  person  could 
scarcely  find  a  companion  in  the  whole  neighborhood; 
and  if  there  was  any  one  that  seemed  to  remain  senseless 
or  unconcerned,  it  would  be  spoken  of  as  a  strange  thing. 
This  dispensation  has  also  appeared  extraordinary  in 
the  numbers  of  those  on  whom  we  have  reason  to  hope 
it  has  had  a  saving  effect :  we  have  about  six  hundred  and 
twenty  communicants,  which  include  almost  all  our  adult 
persons.  The  church  was  very  large  before  ;  but  persons 
never  thronged  into  it  as  they  did  in  the  late  extraordina- 
ry time.  Our  seasons  of  celebrating  the  Lord's  Supper 
were  eight  weeks  asunder,  and  I  received  into  our  com- 
munion about  a  hundred  before  one  sacrament,  and  four- 
score of  them  at  one  time,  whose  appearance,  when  they 
presented  themselves  together  to  make  an  open,  explicit 
profession  of  Christianity,  was  very  affecting  to  the  con- 
gregation :  I  took  in  near  sixty  before  the  next  sacrament 
day  :  and  I  had  very  sufficient  evidence  of  the  conversion 
of  their  souls,  through  divine  grace,  though  it  is  not  the 
custom  here  (as  it  is  in  many  other  churches  in  this  coun- 
try) to  make  a  credible  relation  of  their  inward  experi- 

^^v4^    jk"  ences  the  ground  of  admission  to  the  Lord's  Supper. 
,  V^f^  \'       I  a^  ^^^'  from  pretending  to  be  able  to  determine  how 

i*t  '^**it'^       many  have  lately  been  the  subjects  of  such  mercy ;  but 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  25 

if  I  may  be  allowed  to  declare  any  thing  that  appears  to 

me  probable  in  a  thing  of  this  nature,  I  hope  that  more 

than  three  hundred  souls  were  savingly  brought  home  to 

Christ  in  this   town,  in  the  space    of  half  a  year,  (how 

many  more  I  don't  guess,)  and  about  the  same  number 

of  males  as  females  ;  which,   by  what  I  have  heard  Mr. 

Stoddard  say,  was  far  from  what  has  been  usual  in  years        ;-  ' 
...  v*^'^ 

past,  for  he  observed  that  in  his  time  many  more  women      ,i^yc  ^'C- 

were  converted  than  men.     Those  of  our  young  people -^^,.o-rHC^ 
that  are  on  other  accounts  most  respected,  are  mostly, 
as  I  hope,  truly  pious  and  leading  persons  in  the  way  of  / 
religion.!  Those  that  were  formerly  loose  young  persons,  '. 
are  generally,  to  all  appearance,  become  true  lovers  of 
G-od  and  Christ,  and  spiritual  in  their  dispositions.  And  I 
hope  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of  persons  in  this  town, 
above  sixteen  years  of  age,  are   such  as  have  the  saving 
knowledge   of  Jesus    Christ;    and    so    by  what   I  have 
heard  I  suppose  it  is  in  some   other  places,  particularly 
at  Sunderland  and  South  Hadley. 

This  has  also  appeared  to  be  a  very  extraordinary 
dispensation,  in  that  the  Spirit  of  God  has  so  much  ex- 
tended not  only  his  awakening  but  regenerating  influen- 
ces, both  to  elderly  persons  and  also  to  those  that  are 
very  young.  It  has  been  a  thing  heretofore  rarely  heard 
of  that  any  were  converted  past  middle  age  :  but  now 
we  have  the  same  ground  to  tliink  that  many  such  have 
in  this  time  been  savingly  changed,  as  that  others  have 
been  so  in  more  early  years.  I  suppose  there  were  up- 
wards of  fifty  persons  converted  in  this  town  above  forty 
years  of  age  ;  and  more  than  twenty  of  them  above  fifty, 
and  about  ten  of  them  above  sixty,  and  two  of  them 
above  seventy  years  of  age. 

Work  of  Go  J.  2 


26  NARRATIVE    OF 

It  has  heretofore  been  looked  on  as  a  strange  thing, 
when  any  have  seemed  to  be  savingly  wrought  upon, 
and  remarkably  changed  in  their  childhood ;  but  now,  I 
suppose,  near  thirty  were  to  appearance  so  wrought 
upon  between  ten  and  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  two 
between  nine  and  ten,  and  one  about  four  years  of  age  ; 
and  because,  I  suppose,  this  last  will  be  with  most  diffi- 
culty believed,  I  shall  hereafter  give  a  particular  account 
of  it.  The  influences  of  God's  Spirit  have  also  been  very 
remarkable  on  children  in  some  other  places,  particularly 
at  Sunderland  and  South  Hadley,  and  the  west  part  of 
Suffield.  There  are  several  families  in  this  town  that  are 
all  hopefully  pious ;  yea,  there  are  several  numerous  fa- 
milies, in  which,  I  think,  we  have  reason  to  hope  that  all 
the  children  are  truly  godly,  and  that  most  of  them  have 
lately  become  so  :  and  there  are  very  few  houses  in  the 
whole  town  into  which  salvation  has  not  lately  come,  in 
one  or  more  instances.  JThere  are  several  colored  per- 
sons, that  from  what  was  seen  in  them  then,  and  what  is 
discernible  in  them  since,  appear  to  have  been  truly 
born  again  in  the  late  remarkable  season. 

God  has  also  seemed  to  have  gone  out  of  his  usual 
way  in  the  quickness  of  his  work,  and  the  swift  progress 
his  Spirit  has  made  in  his  operation  on  the  hearts  of 
many  :  'tis  wonderful  that  persons  should  be  so  sud- 
denly and  yet  so  greatly  changed :  many  have  been 
taken  from  a  loose  and  careless  way  of  living,  and 
seized  with  strong  convictions  of  their  guilt  and  misery, 
and  in  a  very  little  time  old  things  have  passed  away, 
and  all  things  have  become  new  with  them. 

God's  work  has  also  appeared  very  extraordinary,  in 
the  degrees  of  the  influences  of  his  Spirit,  both  in  the 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  27 

degree  of  awakening  and  conviction,  and  also  in  the 
degree  of  saving  light,  and  love,  and  joy,  that  many- 
have  experienced.  It  has  also  been  very  extraordinary 
in  the  extent  of  it,  and  in  its  being  so  swiftly  propagated 
from  town  to  town.  In  former  times  of  the  pouring  out 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  this  town,  though  in  some  of 
them  it  was  very  remarkable,  yet  it  reached  no  further 
than  this  town  :  the  neighboring  towns  all  around  con- 
tinued unmoved. 

The  work  of  God's  Spirit  seemed  to  be  at  its  greatest 
height  in  this  town,  in  the  former  part  of  the  spring,  in 
March  and  April;  at  which  time  God's  work  in  the  con- 
version of  souls  was  carried  on  amongst  us  in  so  wonder- 
ful a  manner,  that  so  far  as  I,  by  looking  back,  can  judge 
from  the  particular  acquaintance  I  have  had  with  souls  in 
this  work,  it  appears  to  me  probable  to  have  been  at  the 
rate  at  least  of  four  persons  in  a  day,  or  near  thirty  in  a 
week,  take  one  with  another,  for  five  or  six  weeks  toge- 
ther :  when  God  in  so  remarkable  a  manner  took  the 
work  into  his  own  hands,  there  was  as  much  done  in  a  day 
or  two,  as  at  ordinary  times,  with  all  endeavors  that  men 
can  use,  and  with  such  a  blessing  as  we  commonly  have, 
is  done  in  a  year. 

I  am  very  sensible  how  apt  many  would  be,  if  they 
should  see  the  account  I  have  here  given,  presently  to 
think  with  themselves  that  I  am  very  fond  of  making 
a  great  many  converts,  and  of  magnifying  and  aggran- 
dizing the  matter ;  and  to  think  that,  for  want  of  judg- 
ment, I  take  every  religious  pang  and  enthusiastic  con- 
ceit for  saving  conversion ;  and  I  do  not  much  wonder 
if  they  should  be  apt  to  think  so  :  and  for  this  reason 
I  have  forborne    to    publish    an    account  of  this  gi'eat 


28  NARRATIVE    OF 

work  of  God,  though  I  have  often  been  urged  to  it ; 
but  having  now  as  I  thought  a  special  call  to  give  an 
account  of  it,  upon  mature  consideration  I  thought  it 
might  not  be  beside  my  duty  to  declare  this  amazing 
work,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  to  be  indeed  divine,  and  to 
conceal  no  part  of  the  glory  of  it,  leaving  it  with  God  to 
take  care  of  the  credit  of  his  own  work,  and  running  the 
venture  of  any  censorious  thoughts  which  might  be  en- 
tertained of  me  to  my  disadvantage.  But  that  distant 
persons  may  be  under  as  great  advantage  as  may  be  to 
judge  for  themselves  of  this  matter,  I  would  be  a  little 
more  large  and  particular. 

THE     CHARACTER    OF     THE     WORK    AS     ILLUSTRATED    IN    ITS 
INFLUENCE    UPON    INDIVIDUALS. 

I  therefore  proceed  to  give  an  account  of  the  manner 
of  persons  being  wrought  upon  ;  and  here  there  is  a  vast 
variety,  perhaps  as  manifold  as  the  subjects  of  the  opera- 
tion ;  but  yet  in  many  things  there  is  a  great  analogy  in  all. 
^~^  Persons  are  first  awakened  with  a  sense  of  their  mise- 
rable condition  by  nature,  the  danger  they  are  in  of  pe- 
rishing eternally,  and  that  it  is  of  great  importance  to 
them  that  they  speedily  escape  and  get  into  a  better 
state.  Those  that  before  were  secure  and  senseless,  are 
made  sensible  how  much  they  were  in  the  way  to  ruin  in 
their  former  courses.  Some  are  more  suddenly  seized 
with  convictions  ;  it  may  be,  by  the  news  of  others'  con- 
version, or  something  they  hear  in  public  or  in  private 
conference,  their  consciences  are  suddenly  smitten,  as  if 
their  hearts  were  pierced  through  with  a  dart :  others 
.  have  awakenings  that  come  upon  them  more  gradually ; 
they  begin  at  first  to  be  more  thoughtful  and  considerate, 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  29 

SO  as  to  come  to  a  conclusion  in  their  minds  that  it  is 
their  best  and  wisest  way  to  delay  no  longer,  but  to  im- 
prove the  present  opportunity ;  and  have  accordingly  set 
themselves  seriously  to  meditate  on  those  things  that  have 
the  most  awakening  tendency,  on  purpose  to  obtain  con- 
victions ;  and  so  their  awakenings  have  increased,  till  a 
sense  of  their  misery,  by  God's  Spirit  setting  in  there- 
with, has  had  fast  hold  of  them.  Others  that,  before  this 
wonderful  time,  had  been  something  religious  and  con- 
cerned for  their  salvation,  have  been  awakened  in  a  new 
manner,  and  made  sensible  that  their  slack  and  dull  way 
of  seeking  was  never  like  to  attain  their  purpose,  and  so 
have  been  roused  up  to  a  greater  violence  for  the  king- 
dom of  heaven. 

These  awakenings,  when  they  have  first  seized  on 
persons,  have  had  two  effects  :  one  was,  that  they  have 
brought  them  immediately  to  quit  their  sinful  practices, 
and  the  looser  sort  have  been  brought  to  forsake  and 
dread  their  former  vices  and  extravagancies.  When  once 
the  Spirit  of  God  began  to  be  so  wonderfully  poured  out 
in  a  general  way  through  the  town,  people  had  soon  done 
with  their  old  quarrels,  backbitings,  and  intermeddling 
with  other  men's  matters  ;  the  tavern  was  soon  left  empty, 
and  persons  kept  very  much  at  home  ;  none  went  abroad 
unless  on  necessary  business,  or  on  some  religious  ac- 
count, and  every  day  seemed,  in  many  respects,  like  a 
Sabbath  day.  And  the  other  effect  was,  that  it  put  them 
on  earnest  application  to  the  means  of  salvation,  reading, 
prayer,  meditation,  the  ordinances  of  God's  house,  and 
private  conference  ;  their  cry  was.  What  shall  we  do  to 
he  saved  ?  The  place  of  resort  was  now  changed — it  was 
no  longer  the  tavern,  but  the  minister's  house  j  and  that 


30  NARRATIVE    OF 

was  thronged  far  more  than  ever  the  tavern  had  been 
wont  to  be. 

There  is  a  very  great  variety  as  to  the  degree  of  fear 
and  trouble  that  persons  are  exercised  with  before  they 
obtain  any  comfortable  evidences  of  pardon  and  accept- 
ance with  God  ;  some  are  from  the  beginning  carried 
on  with  abundantly  more  encouragement  and  hope  than 
others;  some  have  had  ten  times  less  trouble  of  mind 
than  others,  in  whom  yet  the  issue  seems  to  be  the  same. 
Some  have  had  such  a  sense  of  the  displeasure  of  God, 
and  the  great  danger  they  were  in  of  damnation,  that 
they  could  not  sleep  at  night ;  and  many  have  said  that 
when  they  have  lain  down,  the  thoughts  of  sleeping  in 
such  a  condition  have  been  frightful  to  them,  and  they 
have  scarcely  been  free  from  terror  while  they  have  been 
asleep,  and  they  have  awaked  with  fear,  heaviness,  and 
distress  still  abiding  on  their  spirits.  It  has  been  very 
common  that  the  deep  and  fixed  concern  that  has  been 
on  persons'  minds,  has  had  a  painful  influence  on  their 
bodies,  and  given  disturbance  to  animal  nature. 

The  awful  apprehensions  persons  have  had  of  their 
misery  have,  for  the  most  part,  been  increasing  the  near- 
er they  have  approached  to  deliverance,  though  they 
often  pass  through  many  changes  in  the  frame  and  cir- 
cumstances of  their  minds  :  sometimes  they  think  them- 
selves wholly  senseless,  and  fear  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
has  left  them,  and  that  they  are  given  up  to  judicial  hard- 
ness ;  yet  they  appear  very  deeply  exercised  about  that 
fear,  and  are  in  great  earnest  to  obtain  convictions  again. 
Together  with  those  fears,  and  that  exercise  of  mind 
which  is  rational,  and  which  they  have  just  ground  for, 
they  have   often   suffered   many  needless   distresses   ot 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  31 

thought,  in  which  Satan  probably  has  a  great  hand  to 
entangle  them  and  block  up  their  way ;  and  sometimes 
the  disease  of  melancholy  has  been  evidently  mixed ;  of 
which,  when  it  happens,  the  tempter  seems  to  make  great 
advantage,  and  puts  an  unhappy  bar  in  the  way  of  any 
good  effect.  One  knows  not  how  to  deal  with  such  per- 
sons ;  they  turn  every  thing  that  is  said  to  them  the  wiong 
way,  and  most  to  their  own  disadvantage :  and  there  is 
nothing  that  the  devil  seems  to  make  so  great  a  handle 
of  as  a  melancholy  humor,  unless  it  be  the  real  corrup- 
tion of  the  heart. 

But  it  has  been  very  remarkable  that  there  has  been 
far  less  of  this  mixture  in  this  time  of  extraordinary 
blessing,  than  there  was  wont  to  be  in  persons  under 
awakenings  at  other  times ;  for  it  is  evident  that  many 
that  before  had  been  exceedingly  involved  in  such  diffi- 
culties, seemed  now  strangely  to  be  set  at  liberty  :  some 
persons  that  had  before  for  a  long  time  been  exceedingly 
entangled  with  peculiar  temptations  of  one  sort  or  other, 
and  unprofitable  and  hurtful  distresses,  were  soon  helped 
over  former  stumbling-blocks  that  hindered  any  progress 
towards  saving  good,  and  convictions  have  wrought  more 
kindly,  and  they  have  been  successfully  carried  on  in  the 
way  to  life.  And  thus  Satan  seemed  to  be  restrained  till 
towards  the  latter  end  of  this  wonderful  time,  when  God's 
Spirit  was  about  to  withdraw. 

Many  times  persons  under  great  awakenings  were  con- 
cerned because  they  thought  they  were  not  awakened, 
but  miserable,  hard-hearted,  senseless  creatures  still,  and 
sleeping  upon  the  brink  of  hell :  the  sense  of  the  need 
they  have  to  be  awakened,  and  of  their  comparative  hard- 
ness, gi'ows  upon  them  with  their  awakenings,  so  that 


32  NARRATIVE    OF 

tliey  seem  to  themselves  to  be  very  senseless,  when  in- 
deed most  sensible.  There  have  been  some  instances  of 
persons  that  have  had  as  great  a  sense  of  their  danger 
and  misery  as  their  natures  could  well  subsist  under,  so 
that  a  little  more  would  probably  have  destroyed  them  ; 
and  yet  they  have  expressed  themselves  much  amazed 
at  their  own  insensibility  and  dulness  in  such  an  extra- 
ordinary time  as  it  then  was. 

Persons  are  sometimes  brought  to  the  borders  of  de- 
spair, and  it  looks  as  black  as  midnight  to  them  a  little 
before  the  day  dawns  in  their  souls.  Some  few  instances 
there  have  been  of  persons  who  have  had  such  a  sense 
of  God's  wrath  for  sin,  that  they  have  been  overborne 
and  made  to  cry  out  under  an  astonishing  sense  of  their 
guilt,  wondering  that  God  suffers  such  guilty  w^retches 
to  live  upon  earth,  and  that  he  doth  not  immediately 
send  them  to  hell ;  and  sometimes  their  guilt  does  so  glare 
them  in  the  face,  that  they  are  in  exceeding  terror  for 
fear  that  God  will  instantly  do  it ;  but  more  commonly 
the  distresses  under  legal  awakenings  have  not  been  to 
such  a  degree.  In  some  these  terrors  do  not  seem  to  be 
so  sharp,  when  near  comfort,  as  before  ;  their  convictions 
have  not  seemed  to  work  so  much  that  way,  but  they  seem 
to  be  led  further  down  into  their  own  hearts  to  a  further 
sense  of  their  own  universal  depravity,  and  deadness 
in  sin. 

The  corruption  of  the  heart  has  discovered  itself  in 
various  exercises  in  the  time  of  legal  convictions.  Some- 
times it  appears  in  a  great  struggle  like  something  rous- 
ed by  an  enemy,  and  Satan,  the  old  inhabitant,  seems  to 
exert  himself  like  a  serpent  disturbed  and  enraged. 
Many,  in  such  circumstances,  have  felt  a  great  spirit  of 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  83 

envy  towards  the  godly,  especially  towards  those  that 
are  thought  to  have  been  lately  converted,  and  most  of 
all  towards  acquaintances  and  companions  when  they  are 
thought  to  be  converted  :  indeed  some  have  felt  many 
heart-risings  against  God,  and  murmurings  at  his  ways  of 
dealing  with  mankind,  and  his  dealings  with  themselves 
in  particular.  It  has  been  much  insisted  on,  both  in  pub- 
lic and  private,  that  persons  should  have  the  utmost  dread 
of  such  envious  thoughts,  which,  if  allowed,  tend  exceed- 
ingly to  quench  the  Spirit  of  God,  if  not  to  provoke  him 
jfinally  to  forsake  them.  And  when  such  a  spirit  has 
much  prevailed,  and  persons  have  not  so  earnestly  strove 
against  it  as  they  ought  to  have  done,  it  has  seemed  to  be 
exceedingly  to  the  hinderance  of  the  good  of  their  souls  : 
but  in  some  other  instances  where  persons  have  been 
much  terrified  at  the  sight  of  such  wickedness  in  their 
hearts,  God  has  brought  good  to  them  out  of  evil,  and 
made  it  a  means  of  convincing  them  of  their  own  despe- 
rate sinfulness,  and  brino^inor  them  off  from  all  self-confi- 
dence.  The  drift  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  his  legal  striv- 
ings with  persons,  has  seemed  most  evidently  to  be  to 
make  way  for  and  to  bring  to  a  conviction  of,  their  abso- 
lute dependence  on  his  sovei'eign  power  and  grace,  and 
the  universal  necessity  of  a  mediator,  by  leading  them 
more  and  more  to  a  sense  of  their  exceeding  wickedness 
and  guiltiness  in  his  sight ;  the  pollution  and  insufficien- 
cy of  their  own  righteousness,  that  they  can  in  no  wise 
help  themselves,  and  that  God  would  be  wholly  just  and 
righteous  in  rejecting  them  and  all  that  they  do,  and  in 
casting  them  off  for  ever,  though  there  be  a  vast  variety 
as  to  the  manner  and  distinctness  of  persons'  convictions 
of  these  things. 

2* 


34  NARRATIVE    OP 

As  they  are  gradually  more  and  more  convinced  of  the 
corruption  and  w^ickedness  of  their  hearts,  they  seem  to 
themselves  to  grow  worse  and  worse,  harder  and  blinder, 
and  more  desperately  wicked,  instead  of  growing  better  : 
they  are  ready  to  be  discouraged  by  it,  and  oftentimes 
never  think  themselves  so  far  off  from  good,  as  when 
they  are  nearest.  Under  the  sense  which  the  Spirit  of 
God  gives  them  of  their  sinfulness,  they  often  think  that 
they  differ  from  all  others ;  their  hearts  are  ready  to  sink 
with  the  thought,  that  they  are  the  worst  of  all,  and  that 
none  ever  obtained  mercy  who  were  so  wicked  as  they. 

When  awakenings  first  begin,  their  consciences  are 
commonly  most  exercised  about  their  outward  vicious 
course,  or  other  acts  of  sin  ;  but  afterwards  they  are  much 
more  burdened  with  a  sense  of  heart  sins,  the  dreadful 
corruption  of  their  nature,  their  enmity  against  God,  the 
pride  of  their  hearts,  their  unbelief,  their  rejection  of 
Christ,  the  stubbornness  and  obstinacy  of  their  wills,  and 
the  like.  In  many,  God  makes  much  use  of  their  own 
experience,  in  the  course  of  their  awakenings  and  en- 
deavors after  saving  good,  to  convince  them  of  their  own 
vileness  and  universal  depravity. 

Very  often  under  first  awakenings,  when  they  are 
brought  to  reflect  on  the  sin  of  their  past  lives,  and  have 
something  of  a  terrifying  sense  of  God's  anger,  they  set 
themselves  to  walk  more  strictly,  and  confess  their  sins  and 
perform  many  religious  duties,  with  a  secret  hope  of  ap- 
^_^^asing  God's  anger  and  making  up  for  the  sins  they 
V,A«-'^  have  committed  :  and  oftentimes,  at  first  settins^  out,  their 
affections  are  moved,  and  they  are  full  of  tears,  in  their 
confessions  and  prayers,  which  they  are  ready  to  make 
very  much  of,  as  though  they  were  some  atonement,  and 


V 


.>  '•> 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  35 

had  power  to  move  correspondent  affections  in  God  too : 
and  hence  they  have  for  awhile  high  expectations  of 
what  God  will  do  for  them ;  and  conceive  that  they  grow 
better  apace,  and  shall  soon  be  thoroughly  converted. 
But  these  affections  are  but  short-lived,  they  quickly  find 
that  they  fail,  and  then  they  think  themselves  to  be  grown 
worse  again ;  they  do  not  find  such  a  prospect  of  being 
soon  converted  as  they  thought ;  instead  of  being  nearer, 
they  seem  to  be  farther  off;  their  hearts  they  think  are 
grown  harder,  and  by  this  means  their  fears  of  perishing 
greatly  increase.  But  though  they  are  disappointed,  they 
renew  their  attempts  again  and  again ;  and  still  as  their 
attem23ts  are  multiplied,  so  are  their  disappointments  ;  all 
fail,  they  see  no  token  of  having  inclined  God's  heart  to 
them,  they  do  not  see  that  he  hears  their  prayer  at  all,  as 
they  expected  he  would ;  and  sometimes  there  have  been 
great  temptations  arising  hence  to  leave  off  seeking,  and 
to  yield  up  the  case.  But  as  they  are  still  more  terrified 
with  fears  of  perishing,  and  their  former  hopes  of  pre- 
vailing on  God  to  be  merciful  to  them  in  a  great  measure 
fail,  sometimes  their  religious  affections  have  turned  into 
heart-risings  against  God,  because  he  would  not  pity 
them,  and  seems  to  have  Httle  regard  to  their  distress  and 
piteous  cries,  and  to  all  the  pains  they  take  ;  they  think 
of  the  mercy  that  God  has  shown  to  others,  how  soon, 
and  how  easily  others  have  obtained  comfort,  and  those 
too  that  were  worse  than  they,  and  have  not  labored  so 
much  as  they  have  done,  and  sometimes  they  have  had 
even  dreadful  blasphemous  thoughts  in  these  circum 
stances. 

But  when  they  reflect  on  these  wicked  workings  of 
heart  against  God,  if  their  convictions  are  continued,  and 


36  NARRATIVE    OF 

the  Spirit  of  God  is  not  provoked  utterly  to  forsake  them, 
they  have  more  distressing  apprehensions  of  the  anger 
of  God  towards  those  whose  hearts  work  after  such  a  sin- 
ful manner  about  him ;  and  it  may  be  have  great  fears 
that  they  have  committed  the  unpardonable  sin,  or  that 
God  will  surely  never  show  mercy  to  them  that  are  such 
vipers  :  and  they  are  often  tempted  to  leave  off  in  despair. 
But  then  perhaps,  by  something  they  read  or  hear  of 
the  infinite  mercy  of  God,  and  the  all-sufficiency  of  Christ 
for  the  chief  of  sinners,  they  have  some  encouragement 
and  hope  renewed ;  but  think  that  as  yet  they  are  not  fit 
to  come  to  Christ,  they  are  so  wicked  that  Christ  will 
never  accept  of  them  :  and  then  it  may  be  they  set  them- 
selves upon  a  new  course  of  fruitless  endeavors  in  their 
own  strength  to  make  themselves  better,  and  still  meet 
with  new  disappointments  :  they  are  earnest  to  inquire 
what  they  shall  do.  They  do  not  know  but  there  is  some- 
thing: else  to  be  done,  in  order  to  their  obtaininsr  convert- 
ing  grace,  that  they  have  never  done  yet.  It  may  be  they 
hope  they  are  something  better  than  they  were  ;  but  then 
the  pleasing  dream  all  vanishes  again.  If  they  are  told 
that  they  trust  too  much  to  their  own  strength  and  righ- 
teousness, they  cannot  unlearn  this  practice  all  at  once, 
and  find  not  yet  the  appearance  of  any  good,  but  all  looks 
as  dark  as  midnight  to  them.  Thus  they  wander  about 
from  mountain  to  hill,  seeking  rest  and  finding  none  : 
when  they  are  beat  out  of  one  refuge  they  fly  to  another, 
till  they  are,  as  it  were,  debilitated,  broken,  and  subdued 
with  legal  humblings  ;  in  which  God  gives  them  a  convic- 
tion of  their  own  utter  helplessness  and  insufficiency,  and 
,  discovers  the  true  remedy  in  a  clearer  knowledge  of 
Christ  and  his  Gospel. 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  37 

When  they  begin  to  seek  salvation  they  are  commonly 
profoundly  ignorant  of  themselves  ;  they  are  not  sensible 
how  blind  they  are,  and  how  little  they  can  do  towards 
bringing  themselves  to  see  spiritual  things  aright,  and 
towards  putting  forth  gracious  exercises  in  their  own 
souls ;  they  are  not  sensible  how  remote  they  are  from 
love  to  God  and  other  holy  dispositions,  and  how  dead 
they  are  in  sin.  When  they  see  unexpected  pollution  in 
their  own  hearts,  they  go  about  to  wash  away  their  own 
defilements  and  make  themselves  clean ;  and  they  weary 
themselves  in  vain,  till  God  shows  them  it  is  in  vain,  and 
that  their  help  is  not  where  they  have  sought  it,  but 
elsewhere. 

But  some  persons  continue  wandering  in  such  a  kind 
of  labyrinth  ten  times  as  long  as  others,  before  their  own 
experience  will  convince  them  of  their  insufficiency ;  and  so« 
it  appears  not  to  be  their  own  experience  only,  but  the 
convincing  influence  of  God's  Spirit  with  their  experience 
that  attains  the  effect :  and  God  has  of  late  abundantly 
shown  that  he  does  not  need  to  wait  to  have  men  con- 
vinced by  long  and  often-repeated  fruitless  trials ;  for  in 
multitudes  of  instances  he  has  made  a  shorter  work  of  it ; 
he  has  so  awakened  and  convinced  persons'  consciences, 
and  made  them  so  sensible  of  their  exceeding  great  vile- 
ness,  and  given  them  such  a  sense  of  his  wrath  against  sin, 
as  has  quickly  overcome  all  their  vain  self-confidence,  and 
borne  them  down  into  the  dust  before  a  holy  and  righ- 
teous God. 

There  have  been  some  who  have  not  had  great  terrors, 
but  have  had  avery  quick  work.  Some  of  those  that  have 
not  had  so  deep  a  conviction  of  these  things  before  their 
con  version,  have,  it  may  be,  much  more  of  it  afterwards. 


38  NARRATIVE    OP 

God  has  appeared  far  fi'om  limiting  himself  to  any  cer- 
tain method  in  his  proceedings  with  sinners  under  legal 
convictions.  In  some  instances  it  seems  easy  for  our  rea- 
soning powers  to  discern  the  methods  of  divine  wisdom 
in  his  dealings  with  the  soul  under  awakenings  :  in  others 
his  footsteps  cannot  be  traced,  and  his  ways  are  past  find- 
ing out :  and  some  that  are  less  distinctly  wrought  upon, 
in  what  is  preparatory  to  grace,  appear  no  less  eminent 
in  gracious  experiences  afterwards. 

There  is  in  nothing  a  greater  difference,  in  different 
persons,  than  with  respect  to  the  time  of  their  being  in 
distress ;  some  but  a  few  days,  and  others  for  months  or 
years.  There  were  many  in  this  town  that  had  been,  be- 
fore this  effusion  of  God's  Spirit  upon  us,  for  years,  and 
some  for  many  years,  concerned  about  their  salvation; 
•  though  probably  they  were  not  thoroughly  awakened, 
yet  they  were  concerned  to  such  a  degree  as  to  be  very 
uneasy,  so  as  to  live  an  uncomfortable,  disquieted  life, 
and  so  as  to  continue  in  a  way  of  taking  considerable 
pains  about  their  salvation,  but  had  never  obtained  any 
comfortable  evidence  of  a  good  estate,  who  now  in  this 
extraordinary  time  have  received  light ;  but  many  of  them 
were  some  of  the  last.  They  first  saw  multitudes  of  others 
rejoicing,  with  songs  of  deliverance  in  their  mouth,  who 
had  seemed  wholly  careless  and  at  ease,  and  in  pursuit 
of  vanity,  while  they  had  been  bowed  down  with  solici- 
tude about  their  souls  ;  yea,  some  had  lived  licentiously, 
and  so  continued  till  a  little  before  they  were  converted, 
and  gi'ew  up  to  a  holy  rejoicing  in  the  infinite  blessings 
God  had  bestowed  upon  them. 

And  whatever  minister  has  a  like  occasion  to  deal 
with  souls,  in  a  flock  under  such  circumstances  as  this 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  39 

was  in  the  last  year,  I  cannot  but  think  he  will  soon  find 
himself  under  a  necessity  greatly  to  insist  upon  it  with 
them,  that  God  is  under  no  manner  of  obligation  to  show 
mercy  to  any  natural  man  whose  heart  is  not  turned  to 
God  :  and  that  a  man  can  challenge  nothing,  either  in 
absolute  justice  or  by  free  promise,  from  any  thing  he 
does  before  he  has  believed  on  Jesus  Christ,  or  has  true 
repentance  begun  in  him.  It  appears  to  me  that  if  I  had 
taught  those  that  came  to  me  under  trouble  any  other 
doctrine,  I  should  have  taken  a  most  direct  course  utter- 
ly to  have  undone  them  ;  I  should  have  directly  crossed 
what  was  plainly  the  drift  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  his  in- 
fluences upon  them  ;  for  if  they  had  believed  what  I 
said,  it  would  either  have  promoted  self-flattery  and 
carelessness,  and  so  put  an  end  to  their  awakenings ;  or 
cherished  and  established  their  contention  and  strife  with 
God,  concerning  his  dealings  with  them  and  others,  and 
blocked  up  their  way  to  that  humiliation  before  the  so- 
vereign Disposer  of  life  and  death,  whereby  God  is  wont 
to  prepare  them  for  his  consolations.  And  yet  those  that  i; 
have  been  under  awakenings,  have  oftentimes  plainly  ' ' 
stood  in  need  of  being  encouraged,  by  being  told  of  the 
infinite  and  all-sufficient  mercy  of  God  in  Christ ;  and 
that  it  is  God's  manner  to  succeed  diligence,  and  to  bless 
his  own  means,  that  so  awakenings  and  encouragements, 
fear  and  hope,  may  be  duly  mixed  and  proportioned  to 
preserve  their  minds  in  a  just  medium  between  the  two  ex- 
tremes of  self-flattery  and  despondence,  both  which  tend 
to  slackness  and  negligence,  and  in  the  end  to  security. 
I  think  I  have  found  that  no  discourses  have  been 
more  remarkably  blessed  than  those  in  which  the  doc- 
trine of  God's  absolute  sovereignty  with  regard  to  the 


40  NARRATIVE    OP 

salvation  of  sinners,  and  his  just  liberty,  with  regard  to 
answering  the  prayers  or  succeeding  the  pains  of  mere 
natural  men,  continuing  such,  have  been  insisted  on. 
I  never  found  so  much  immediate  saving  fruit,  in  any 
measure,  of  any  discourses  I  have  offered  to  my  congre- 
gation, as  some  from  these  words,  Rom.  3  :  19,  '*  That 
every  mouth  may  be  stopped  ;"  endeavoring  to  show 
from  thence  that  it  would  be  just  with  God  for  ever  to 
reject  and  cast  off  mere  natural  men. 

In  those  in  whom  awakenings  seem  to  have  a  saving 
issue,  commonly  the  first  thing  that  appears  after  their 
legal  troubles,  is  a  conviction  of  the  justice  of  God  in 
their  condemnation,  and  a  sense  of  their  own  exceeding 
sinfulness,  and  the  vileness  of  all  their  performances.  In 
giving  an  account  of  this  they  expressed  themselves  very 
variously :  some,  that  they  saw  that  God  was  sovereign, 
and  might  receive  others  and  reject  them  ;  some,  that 
they  were  convinced  that  God  might  justly  bestow  mer- 
cy on  every  person  in  the  town,  and  on  every  person  in 
the  world,  and  damn  themselves  to  all  eternity ;  some, 
that  they  saw  that  God  might  justly  have  no  regard  to  all 
the  pains  they  have  taken,  and  all  the  prayers  they  have 
made  ;  some,  that  they  saw  that  if  they  should  seek,  and 
take  the  utmost  pains  all  their  lives,  God  might  justly 
cast  them  into  hell  at  last,  because  all  their  labors,  pray- 
ers and  tears  cannot  make  an  atonement  for  the  least 
sin,  or  merit  any  blessing  at  the  hands  of  God ;  some 
have  declared  themselves  to  be  in  the  hands  of  God, 
that  he  can  and  may  dispose  of  them  just  as  he  pleases  ; 
some  that  God  may  glorify  himself  in  their  damnation, 
and  they  wonder  that  God  has  suffered  them  to  live  so 
long,  and  has  not  cast  them  into  hell  long  ago. 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  41 

Some  are  brought  to  this  conviction  by  a  great  sense 
of  their  sinfulness  in  general,  that  they  are  such  vile  wick- 
ed creatures  in  heart  and  life  :  others  have  the  sins  of 
their  lives  in  an  extraordinary  manner  set  before  them, 
multitudes  of  them  coming  just  then  fresh  to  their  memo- 
ry, and  being  set  before  them  vv^ith  their  aggravations  ; 
some  have  their  minds  especially  fixed  on  some  particu- 
lar wicked  practice  they  have  indulged  ;  some  are  espe- 
cially convinced  by  a  sight  of  the  corruption  and  wicked- 
ness of  their  hearts  ;  some  from  a  view  they  have  of  the 
horridness  of  some  particular  exercises  of  corruption 
which  they  have  had  in  the  time  of  their  awakening, 
whereby  the  enmity  of  the  heart  against  God  has  been 
manifested ;  some  are  convinced  especially  by  a  sense  of 
the  sin  6f  unbelief,  the  opposition  of  their  hearts  to  the 
way  of  salvation  by  Christ,  and  their  obstinacy  in  reject- 
ing him  and  his  grace. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  as  to  persons'  dis- 
tinctness here ;  some,  that  have  not  so  clear  a  sight  of 
God's  justice  in  their  condemnation,  yet  mention  things 
that  plainly  imply  it.  They  find  a  disposition  to  acknow- 
ledge God  to  be  just  and  righteous  in  his  threatenings, 
and  that  they  are  deserving  of  nothing ;  and  many  times, 
though  they  had  not  so  particular  a  sight  of  it  at  the 
beginning,  they  have  very  clear  discoveries  of  it  soon 
afterwards,  with  great  humblings  in' the  dust  before  God. 

Commonly  persons'  minds  immediately  before  this 
discovery  of  God's  justice  are  exceedingly  restless  and 
in  a  kind  of  struggle  and  tumult,  and  sometimes  in  mere 
anguish ;  but  generally,  as  soon  as  they  have  this  convic- 
tion, it  immediately  brings  their  minds  to  a  calm,  and  a 
before  unexpected  quietness  and  composure ;  and  most 


42  NARRATIVE    OF 

frequently,  though  not  always,  the  pressing  weight  upon 
their  spirits  is  then  taken  away,  and  a  general  hope 
arises,  that  some  time  or  other  God  will  be  gracious, 
even  before  they  have  any  distinct  and  particular  disco- 
veries of  mercy  ;  and  often  they  then  come  to  a  conclu- 
sion within  themselves,  that  they  will  lie  at  God's  feet 
and  wait  his  time ;  and  they  rest  in  that,  not  being  sensi- 
ble that  the  Spirit  of  God  has  now  brought  them  to  a 
frame  whereby  they  are  prepared  for  mercy ;  for  it  is  re- 
markable that  persons,  when  they  first  have  this  sense  of 
the  justice  of  God,  rarely,  in  the  time  of  it,  think  any 
thing  of  its  being  that  humiliation  that  they  have  often 
heard  insisted  on,  and  that  others  experience. 

In  many  persons,  the  first  convictions  of  the  justice  of 
God  in  their  condemnation  which  they  take  particular 
notice  of,  and  probably  the  first  distinct  conviction  of  it 
that  they  have,  is  of  such  a  nature  as  seems  to  be  above 
any  thing  merely  legal:  though  it  be  after  legal  hum- 
blings,  and  much  of  a  sense  of  their  own  helplessness, 
and  of  the  insufiiciency  of  their  own  duties  ;  yet  it  does 
not  appear  to  be  forced  by  mere  legal  terrors  and  con- 
victions; but  rather  from  a  high  exercise  of  grace,  in 
saving-repentance  and  evangelical  humiliation;  for  there 
is  in  it  a  sort  of  complacency  of  soul  in  the  attribute  of 
God's  justice,  as  displayed  in  his  threatenings  of  eternal 
damnation  to  sinners.  Sometimes,  at  the  discovery  of  it, 
they  can  scarcely  forbear  crying  out,  'Tis  just  !  'Tis 
JUST  ! — Some  express  themselves,  that  they  see  the  glory 
of  God  would  shine  bright  in  their  own  condemnation; 
and  they  are  ready  to  think  that  if  they  are  damned,  they 
could  take  part  with  God  against  themselves,  and  would 
glorify  his  justice  therein.     And  when  it  i§  thus,  they 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  43 

commonly  have  some  evident  sense  of  free  and  all-suffi- 
cient grace,  though  they  give  no  distinct  account  of  it ; 
but  it  is  manifested  by  the  great  degree  of  hope  and  en- 
couragement they  then  receive,  though  they  were  never 
so  sensible  of  their  own  vileness  and  ill-deserving  as  they 
are  at  that  time. 

Some,  when  in  such  circumstances,  have  felt  such  a 
sense  of  the  excellency  of  God's  justice  appearing  in 
the  vindictive  exercise  of  it  against  such  sinfulness  as 
theirs  was,  and  have  had  such  a  submission  of  mind  in 
their  idea  of  this  attribute,  and  of  those  exercises  of  it, 
together  with  an  exceeding  loathing  of  their  own  un- 
worthiness,  and  a  kind  of  indignation  against  themselves, 
that  they  have  sometimes  almost  called  it  a  willingness 
to  be  damned ;  though  it  must  be  owned  they  had  not 
clear  and  distinct  ideas  of  damnation,  nor  does  any  word 
in  the  Bible  require  such  self-denial  as  this.  But  the  truth 
is,  as  some  have  more  clearly  expressed  it,  that  salvation 
has  appeared  too  good  for  them,  that  they  were  worthy 
of  nothing  but  condemnation,  and  they  could  not  tell 
how  to  think  of  salvation's  being  bestowed  upon  them, 
fearing  it  was  inconsistent  with  the  glory  of  God's  ma- 
jesty that  they  had  so  much  contemned  and  affronted. 

That  calm  of  spirit  that  some  persons  have  found  after 
their  legal  distresses,  continues  some  time  before  any 
special  and  delightful  manifestation's  made  to  the  soul 
of  the  grace  of  God,  as  revealed  in  the  Gospel ;  but  very 
often  some  comfortable  and  sweet  view  of  a  merciful 
God,  of  a  sufficient  Redeemer,  or  of  some  great  and  joy- 
ful things  of  the  Gospel,  immediately  follows,  or  in  a  very 
little  time ;  and  in  some,  the  first  sight  of  their  just  desert 
of  hell,  and  God's  sovereignty  with  respect  to  their  sal- 


44  NARRATIVE    OP 

vation,  and  a  discovery  of  all-sufficient  grace,  are  so  near, 
that  they  seem  to  go  as  it  were  together. 

These  gi'acious  discoveries  that  are  given,  v^^hence  the 
first  special  comforts  are  derived,  are  in  many  respects 
very  various :  more  frequently  Christ  is  distinctly  made 
the  object  of  the  mind,  in  his  all-sufficiency  and  willing- 
ness to  save  sinners  :  but  some  have  their  thoughts  more 
especially  fixed  on  God,  in  some  of  his  sweet  and  glori- 
ous attributes  manifested  in  the  Gospel,  and  shining  forth 
in  the  face  of  Christ :  some  view  the  all-sufficiency  of 
the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  ;  some  chiefly  the  infinite 
power  of  God,  and  his  ability  to  save  them,  and  to  do  all 
things  for  them  ;  and  some  look  most  at  the  truth  and 
faithfulness  of  God :  in  some,  the  truth  and  certainty  of 
the  Gospel  in  general  is  the  first  joyful  discovery  they 
have;  in  others,  the  certain  truth  of  some  particular 
promises  ;  in  some,  the  grace  and  sincerity  of  God  in  his 
invitations,  very  commonly  in  some  particular  invitation 
in  the  mind,  and  it  now  appears  real  to  them  that  God 
does  indeed  invite  them.  Some  are  struck  with  the  glory 
and  wonderfulness  of  the  dying  love  of  Christ :  and  some 
with  the  sufficiency  and  preciousness  of  his  blood,  as 
offered  to  make  an  atonement  for  sin  ;  and  others  with 
the  value  and  glory  of  his  obedience  and  righteousness. 
In  some,  the  excellency  and  loveliness  of  Christ  chiefly 
engage  their  thoughts  ;  in  some,  his  divinity,  that  he  is 
indeed  the  Son  of  the  living  God  ;  and  in  others,  the 
excellency  of  the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ,  and  the 
suitableness  of  it  to  their  necessities. 

Some  have  an  apprehension  of  these  things  so  given 
that  it  seems  more  natural  to  them  to  express  it  by  sight 
or  discovery ;  others  think  what  they  experience  better 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  45 

expressed  by  the  realizing  conviction,  or  a  lively  or  feel- 
ing sense  of  heart ;  meaning,  as  I  suppose,  no  other  dif- 
ference but  w^hat  is  merely  circumstantial  or  gradual. 

There  is  often,  in  the  mind,  some  particular  text  of 
Scripture,  holding  forth  some  evangelical  ground  of  con- 
solation ;  sometimes  a  multitude  of  texts,  gracious  invi- 
tations and  promises  flowing  in  one  after  another,  filling 
the  soul  more  and  more  with  comfort  and  satisfaction  ; 
and  comfort  is  first  given  to  some  while  reading  some 
portion  of  Scripture  ;  but  in  some  it  is  attended  with  no 
particular  Scripture  at  all,  either  in  reading  or  meditation. 
In  some,  many  divine  things  seem  to  be  discovered  to  the 
soul  as  it  were  at  once  ;  others  have  their  minds  especial- 
ly fixed  on  some  one  thing  at  first,  and  afterwards  a 
sense  is  given  of  others;  in  some  with  a  swifter,  and 
others  a  slower  succession,  and  sometimes  with  inter- 
ruptions of  much  darkness. 

The  way  that  grace  seems  sometimes  first  to  appear 
after  legal  humiliation,  is  in  earnest  longings  of  soul  after 
God  and  Christ,  to  know  God,  to  love  him,  to  be  hum- 
bled before  him,  to  have  communion  with  Christ  in  his 
benefits ;  which  longings,  as  they  express  them,  seem 
evidently  to  be  of  such  a  nature  as  can  arise  from  no- 
thing but  a  sense  of  the  superlative  excellency  of  divine 
things,  wdth  a  spiritual  taste  and  relish  of  them,  and  an 
esteem  of  them  as  their  highest  happiness  and  best  por- 
tion. Such  longings  as  I  speak  of  are  commonly  attend- 
ed with  firm  resolutions  to  pursue  this  good  for  ever, 
together  with  a  hoping,  waiting  disposition.  When  per- 
sons have  begun  in  such  frames,  commonly  other  expe- 
riences and  discoveries  have  soon  followed,  which  have 
yet  more  clearly  manifested  a  change  of  heart. 


46  NARRATIVE    OP 

It  must  needs  be  confessed  that  Christ  is  not  always 
distinctly  and  explicitly  thought  of  in  the  first  sensible 
act  of  grace  (though  most  commonly  he  is;)  but  some- 
times he  is  the  object  of  the  mind  only  as  implied  in  the 
views  they  entertain.  Thus  sometimes  when  persons 
have  seemed  evidently  to  be  stripped  of  all  their  own 
righteousness,  and  to  have  stood  self-condemned  as  guilty 
of  death,  they  have  been  comforted  with  a  joyful  and 
satisfying  view,  that  the  mercy  and  grace  of  God  is  suf- 
ficient for  them ;  that  their  sins,  though  never  so  great, 
shall  be  no  hinderance  to  their  being  accepted  ;  that  there 
is  mercy  enough  in  God  for  the  whole  world,  and  the 
like,  when  they  give  no  account  of  any  particular  or  dis- 
tinct thought  of  Christ ;  but  yet  when  the  account  they 
give  is  duly  weighed,  and  they  are  a  little  interrogated 
about  it,  it  appears  that  the  revelation  of  the  mercy  of 
God  in  the  Gospel  is  the  ground  of  this  their  encourage- 
ment and  hope  ;  and  that  it  is  indeed  the  mercy  of  God 
through  Christ  that  is  discovered  to  them,  and  that  it  is 
depended  on  in  him,  and  not  in  any  wise  moved  by  any 
thing  in  them. 

So  sometimes  disconsolate  souls  amonsi'st  us  have 
been  revived  and  brought  to  rest  in  God,  by  a  sweet 
sense  given  of  his  grace  and  faithfulness  in  some  special 
invitation  or  promise,  in  which  is  no  particular  mention 
of  Christ,  nor  is  it  accompanied  with  any  distinct  thought 
of  him  in  their  minds  ;  but  yet  it  is  not  received  as  out 
of  Christ,  but  as  one  of  the  invitations  or  promises  made 
of  God  to  poor  sinners  through  his  Son  J  esus,  as  it  is 
indeed  ;  and  such  persons  have  afterwards  had  clear  and 
distinct  discoveries  of  Christ  a,ccompanied  with  lively  and 
special  actings  of  faith  and  love  towards  him. 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  47 

It  has  more  frequently  been  so  amongst  us,  that  when 
persons  have  first  had  the  gospel  ground  of  relief  for  lost 
smners  discovered  to  them,  and  have  been  entertaining 
their  minds  w^ith  the  sweet  prospect,  they  have  thought 
nothing  at  that  time  of  their  being  converted  :  to  see 
that  there  is  such  an  all-sufficiency  in  God,  and  such 
plentiful  provision  made  in  Christ,  after  they  have  been 
borne  down  and  sunk  with  a  sense  of  their  guilt  and 
fears  of  wrath,  exceedingly  refreshes  them ;  the  view  is 
joyful  to  them,  as  it  is  in  its  own  nature  glorious,  and 
gives  them  quite  new  and  more  delightful  ideas  of  God 
and  Christ,  and  greatly  encourages  them  to  seek  conver- 
sion, and  begets  in  them  a  strong  resolution  to  give  up 
themselves,  and  devote  their  whole  lives  to  God  and  his 
Son,  and  patiently  to  wait  till  God  shall  see  fit  to  make 
all  effectual ;  and  very  often  they  entertain  a  strong 
persuasion  that  he  will  in  his  own  time  do  it  for  them. 

There  is  wrought  in  them  a  holy  repose  of  soul  in  God 
through  Christ,  and  a  secret  disposition  to  fear  and  love 
him,  and  to  hope  for  blessings  from  him  in  this  way :  and 
yet  they  have  no  idea,  that  they  are  now  converted,  it 
does  not  so  much  as  come  into  their  minds ;  and  very 
often  the  reason  is  that  they  do  not  see  that  they  do  ac- 
cept of  this  sufficiency  of  salvation  which  they  behold  in 
Christ,  having  entertained  a  wrong  notion  of  acceptance  ; 
not  being  sensible  that  the  obedient  and  joyful  entertain- 
ment which  their  hearts  give  to  this  discovery  of  grace 
is  a  real  acceptance  of  it.  They  know  not  that  the  sweet 
complacence  they  feel  in  the  mercy  and  complete  salva- 
tion of  God,  as  it  includes  pardon  and  sanctification,  and 
is  held  forth  to  them  only  through  Christ,  is  a  true  re- 
ceiving of  this  mercy,  or  a  plain  evidence  of  their  receiv- 


48  NARRATIVE    OF 

ing  it.  They  expected  I  know  not  what  kind  of  act 
of  soul,  and  perhaps  they  had  no  distinct  idea  of  it 
themselves. 

And  indeed  it  appears  very  plainly  in  some  of  them, 
that  before  their  own  conversion  they  had  very  iin'perfect 
ideas  what  conversion  is  :  it  is  all  new  and  strange,  and 
what  there  was  no  clear  conception  of  before.  It  is  most 
evident,  as  they  themselves  acknowledge,  that  the  ex- 
pressions that  were  used  to  describe  conversion  and  the 
graces  of  God's  Spirit,  such  as  a  spiritual  sight  of  Christ, 
faith  in  Christ,  poverty  of  spirit,  trust  in  God,  resigned- 
ness  to  God,  &c.  were  expressions  that  did  not  convey 
those  special  and  distinct  ideas  to  their  minds  which  they 
were  intended  to  signify  :  perhaps  to  some  of  them  it 
was  but  little  more  than  the  names  of  colors  are  to  con- 
vey the  ideas  to  one  that  is  blind  from  his  birth. 

This  town  is  a  place  where  there  has  always  been  a 
great  deal  of  talk  of  conversion  and  spiritual  experien- 
ces ;  and  therefore  people  in  general  had  before  formed 
a  notion  in  their  own  minds  what  these  things  were ;  but 
when  they  come  to  be  the  subjects  of  them  themselves, 
they  find  themselves  much  confounded  in  their  notions, 
and  overthrown  in  many  of  their  former  conceits.  And  it 
has  been  very  observable  that  persons  of  the  greatest  un- 
derstanding, and  that  had  studied  most  about  things  of 
this  nature,  have  been  more  confounded  than  others. 
Some  such  persons  that  have  lately  been  converted,  de- 
clare that  all  their  former  wisdom  is  brought  to  nought, 
and  that  they  seem  to  themselves  to  have  been  mere 
babes,  who  knew  nothing.  It  has  appeared  that  none 
have  stood  more  in  need  of  enlightening  and  instruction, 
even  from  their  fellow-christians,   concerning  their  own 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  49 

circumstances  and  difficulties,  than  they,  and  it  has  seem- 
ed to  have  been  with  deHght  that  they  have  seen  them- 
selves thus  brought  down  and  become  nothing,  that  free 
grace  and  divine  power  may  be  exalted  in  them. 

It  was  very  wonderful  to  see  after  what  manner  per 
sons'  affections  were  sometimes  moved  and  wrought 
upon,  when  God  did,  as  ic  were,  suddenly  open  their 
eyes  and  let  into  their  minds  a  sense  of  the  greatness  of 
his  grace,  and  the  fulness  of  Christ,  and  his  readiness  to 
save,  who  before  were  broken  with  apprehensions  of  di- 
vine wrath,  and  sunk  into  an  abyss  under  a  sense  of  guilt 
which  they  were  ready  to  think  was  beyond  the  mercy  of 
God  :  their  joyful  surprise  has  caused  their  hearts  as  it 
were  to  leap,  so  that  they  have  been  ready  to  break  forth 
into  laughter,  tears  often  at  the  same  time  issuing  like  a 
flood,  and  intermingling  a  loud  weeping ;  and  sometimes 
they  have  not  been  able  to  forbear  crying  out  with  a  loud 
voice,  expressing  their  great  admiration.  In  some  even 
the  view  of  the  glory  of  God's  sovereignty  in  the  exer- 
cise of  his  grace  has  surprised  the  soul  with  such  sweet-  ■ 
ness  as  to  produce  the  same  effects.  I  remember  an  in- 
stance of  one,  who,  reading  something  concerning  God's 
sovereign  way  of  saving  sinners,  as  being  self-moved, 
and  having  no  regard  to  men's  own  righteousness  as 
the  motive  of  his  grace,  but  as  mBgnifying  himself  and 
abasing  man,  or  to  that  purpose,  felt  a  sudden  rap- 
ture of  joy  and  delight  in  the  consideration  of  it;  and  yet 
then  suspected  himself  to  be  in  a  christless  condition, 
and  had  been  long  in  great  distress  for  fear  that  God 
would  not  have  mercy  on  him. 

Many  continue  a  long  time  in  a  course  of  gracious  ex- 
ercises and  experiences,  9,nd  do  not  think  themselves  to 

Revival  of  Rel,  3 


50  NARRATIVE    OP 

be  converted,  but  conclude  themselves  to  be  otherwise ; 
and  none  knows  how  long  they  would  continue  so,  were 
they  not  helped  by  particular  instruction.  There  are  un- 
doubted instances  of  some  that  have  lived  in  this  way 
for  many  years  together ;  and  a  continuing  in  these  cir- 
cumstances of  being  converted  and  not  believing  it,  has 
had  various  consequences  with  various  persons,  and  with 
the  same  persons  at  various    times  :    some  continue  in 
great  encouragement    and  hope    that  they  shall  obtain 
mercy,  in  a  steadfast  resolution  to  persevere  in  seeking 
it,  and  in  a  humble  waiting  for  it  at  God's  feet ;  but  very 
often  w^hen  the  lively  sense  of  the  sufficiency  of  Christ 
and  the  riches  of  divine  grace  begins  to  vanish,  upon  a 
withdrawal  of  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God  they 
return  to  greater  distress  than  ever ;  for  they  have  now 
a  far  greater  sense  of  the  misery  of  a  natural  condition 
than  before,  being  in  a  new  manner  sensible  of  the  reality 
of  eternal  thinsfs,  and  the  srreatness  of  God,  and  his  ex- 
cellency,  and  how  dreadful  it  is  to  be  separated  from  him 
and  to  be  subject  to  his  wrath ;  so  that  they  are  some- 
times swallowed  up  with  darkness  and  amazement.    Sa- 
tan has  a  vast  advantage  in  such  cases  to  ply  them  with 
various  temptations,  which  he  is  not  wont  to  neglect.  In 
such  a  case  persons  do  very  much  need  a  guide  to  lead 
them  to  an  undorstandins;  of  what  we  are  taus^ht  in  the 
word  of  God  of  the  nature  of  grace,  and  to  help  them  to 
apply  it  to  themselves. 

I  have  been  much  blamed  and  censured  by  many,  that 
I  should  make  it  my  practice,  when  I  have  been  satisfied 
concerning  persons'  good  estate,  to  signify  it  to  them  : 
which  thing  has  been  greatly  misrepresented  abroad,  as 
innumerable  other  things  concerning  us,  to  prejudice  the 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  51 

country  against  the  whole  work.  But  let  it  be  noted,  that 
what  I  have  undertaken  to  judge  of  has  rather  been  qua- 
lifications and  declared  experiences  than  persons  :  not 
but  that  I  have  thought  it  my  duty  as  a  pastor  to  assist 
and  instruct  persons  in  applying  Scripture  rules  and  cha 
racters  to  their  own  case,  (in  doing  which  I  think  many 
greatly  need  a  guide,)  and  have,  where  I  thought  the 
case  plain,  used  freedom  in  signifying  my  hope  of  them 
to  others  ;  but  I  have  been  far  from  doing  this  concern- 
ing all  that  I  have  had  some  hopes  of;  and  I  believe 
have  used  much  more  caution  than  many  have  supposed. 
Yet  I  should  account  it  a  great  calamity  to  be  deprived 
of  the  comfort  of  rejoicing  with  those  of  my  flock  that 
have  been  in  great  distress,  whose  circumstances  I  have 
been  acquainted  with,  when  there  seems  to  be  good  evi- 
dence that  those  that  were  dead  are  alive,  and  those  that 
were  lost  are  found.  I  am  sensible  the  practice  would 
have  been  safer  in  the  hands  of  one  of  a  riper  judgment 
and  greater  experience  ;  but  yet  there  has  seemed  to  bo 
an  absolute  necessity  of  it  on  the  forementioned  accounts ; 
and  it  has  been  found  to  be  that  which  God  has  most  re- 
markably owned  and  blessed  among  us,  both  to  the  per- 
sons themselves  and  others. 

Grace  in  many  persons,  through  this  ignorance  of  their 
state  and  their  looking  on  themselves  still  as  the  objects 
of  God's  displeasure,  has  been  like'  the  trees  in  winter, 
or  like  seed  in  the  spring  suppressed  under  a  hard  clod 
of  earth ;  and  many  in  such  cases  have  labored  to  their 
utmost  to  divert  their  minds  from  the  pleasing  and  joyful 
views  they  have  had,  and  to  suppress  those  consolations 
and  gracious  affections  that  arose  thereupon.  And  when 
it  has  once  come  into  their  minds  to  inquire  whether  this 


62  NARRATIVE    OP 

was  true  grace,  tliey  have  been  much  afraid  lest  they 
should  be  deceived  with  common  illuminations  and 
flashes  of  affection,  and  be  eternally  undone  with  a  false 
hope.  But  when  they  have  been  better  instructed,  and  so 
brought  to  allow  of  hope,  this  has  awakened  the  gracious 
disposition  of  their  hearts  into  life  and  vigor,  as  the  warm 
beams  of  the  sun  in  the  spring  have  quickened  the  seeds 
and  productions  of  the  earth  :  grace  being  now  at  liberty, 
and  cherished  with  hope,  has  soon  flowed  out  to  their 
abundant  satisfaction  and  increase. 

There  is  no  one  thing  that  I  know  of  that  God  has 
made  such  a  means  of  promoting  his  work  among  us  as 
the  news  of  others'  conversion^  in  the  awakening  of  sin- 
ners, and  engaging  them  earnestly  to  seek  the  same 
blessing,  and  in  the  quickening  of  saints.  Though  I  have 
thought  that  a  minister's  declaring  his  judgment  about 
particular  persons'  experiences  might  from  these  things 
be  justified,  yet  I  am  often  signifying  to  my  people  how 
unable  man  is  to  know  another's  heart,  and  how  unsafe 
it  is  depending  merely  on  the  judgment  of  ministers  or 
others ;  and  have  abundantly  insisted  on  it  with  them, 
that  a  manifestation  of  sincerity  in  fruits  brought  forth  is 
better  than  any  manifestation  they  can  make  of  it  in 
words  alone  can  be;  and  that  without  this,  all  j^retences 
to  spiritual  experiences  are  vain  ;  as  all  my  congregation 
can  witness.  And  the  people  in  general,  in  this  late  ex- 
traordinary time,  have  manifested  an  extraordinary  dread 
of  being  deceived,  being  exceedingly  fearful  lest  they 
should  build  wrong,  and  some  of  them  backward  to  re- 
ceive hope,  even  to  a  great  extreme,  which  has  occasion- 
ed me  to  dwell  longer  on  this  part  of  the  narrative. 

Conversion  is   a   great  and    glorious  work    of  God's 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  53 

power,  at  once  changing  the  heart  and  infusing  life  into 
the  dead  soul ;  though  that  grace  that  is  then  implanted 
does  more  gradually  display  itself  in  some  than  in  others. 
But  as  to  fixing  on  the  precise  time  when  they  put  forth 
the  very  first  act  of  grace,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  differ- 
ence in  different  persons  :  in  some  it  seems  to  be  very 
discernible  when  the  very  time  of  this  was  ;  but  others 
are  more  at  a  loss.  In  this  respect  there  are  very  many 
that  do  not  know  the  time  (as  has  been  already  observed) 
when  they  have  the  first  exercises  of  grace  :  they  do  not 
know  that  it  is  the  grace  of  conversion,  and  sometimes  do 
not  think  it  to  be  so  till  a  long  time  after ;  and  many, 
even  when  they  come  to  entertain  great  hope  that  they 
are  converted,  if  they  remember  what  they  experienced 
in  the  first  exercises  of  grace,  are  at  a  loss  whether  it  was 
any  thing  more  than  a  common  illumination ;  or  whether 
some  other  more  clear  and  remarkable  experience  that 
they  had  afterwards  was  not  the  first  that  was  of  a  saving 
nature.  And  the  manner  of  God's  work  on  the  soul  is 
(sometimes  especially)  very  mysterious,  and  it  is  with  the 
kingdom  of  God  as  to  its  manifestation  in  the  heart  of  a 
convert,  as  it  is  said,  Mark,  4  :  26,  27,  28,  "  So  is  the 
kingdom  of  God,  as  if  a  man  should  cast  seed  into  the 
ground,  and  should  sleep,  and  rise  night  and  day,  and  the 
seed  should  spring,  and  grow  up,  he  knoweth  not  how ; 
for  the  earth  bringeth  forth  of  herself,  first  the  blade, 
then  the  ear,  after  that  the  full  corn  in  the  ear." 

In  some,  converting  light  is  like  a  glorious  brightness, 
suddenly  shining  in  upon  a  person  and  all  around  him  : 
they  are  in  a  remarkable  manner  brought  out  of  darkness 
into  marvellous  light.  In  mg,ny  others  it  has  been  like  the 
dawning  of  the  day,  when  at  first  but  a  little  light  ap- 


54 


NARRATIVE    OF 


pears,  and  it  may  be  is  presently  hid  with  a  cloud ;  and 
then  it  appears  again  and  shines  a  little  brighter,  and 
gradually  increases,  with  intervening  darkness,  till  at 
length,  perhaps,  it  breaks  forth  more  clearly  from  behind 
the  clouds.  And  many  are,  doubtless,  ready  to  date  their 
conversion  wrong,  throwing  by  those  lesser  degrees  of 
light  that  appeared  at  first  dawning,  and  calling  some 
more  remarkable  experience,  that  they  had  afterwards, 
their  conversion;  which  often  in  great  measure  arises 
from  a  wrong  understanding  of  what  they  have  always 
been  taught,  that  conversion  is  a  great  change,  wherein 
old  things  are  done  away  and  all  things  become  7iew,  or  at 
least  from  a  false  arguing  from  that  doctrine. 

Persons  commonly  at  their  first  conversion,  and  after- 
wards, have  had  many  texts  of  Scripture  brought  to  their 
minds  that  are  exceeding  suitable  to  their  circumstan- 
ces, which  often  come  with  great  power,  and  as  the  word 
of  God  or  Christ  indeed ;  and  many  have  a  multitude  of 
sweet  invitations,  promises,  and  doxologies  flowing  in 
one  after  another,  bringing  great  light  and  comfort  with 
them,  filling  the  soul  brim  full,  enlarging  the  heart,  and 
opening  the  mouth  in  religion.  And  it  seems  to  me  ne- 
cessary to  suppose  that  there  is  an  immediate  influence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  oftentimes  in  bringing  texts  of 
Scripture  to  the  mind  :  not  that  I  suppose  it  is  done  in  a 
way  of  immediate  revelation,  without  any  manner  of  use 
of  the  memory ;  but  yet  there  seems  plainly  to  be  an 
immediate  and  extraordinary  influence  in  leading  their 
thoughts  to  such  and  such  passages  of  Scripture,  and  ex- 
citing them  in  the  memory.  Indeed,  in  some,  God  seems 
to  bring  texts  of  Scripture  to  their  minds  no  otherwise 
than  by  leading  them  into  such  frames  and  meditations 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  55 

as  harmonize  with  those  Scriptures ;  but  in  many  per- 
sons there  seems  to  be  something  more  than  this. 

Those  that  while  under  legal  convictions  have  had  the 
greatest  terrors,  have  not  always  obtained  the  greatest 
light  and  comfort ;  nor  have  they  always  light  most  sud- 
denly communicated ;  but  yet  I  think  the  time  of  con- 
version has  generally  been  -most  sensible  in  such  persons. 
Oftentimes,  the  first  sensible  change  after  the  extremity 
of  terrors,  is  a  calmness,  and  then  the  light  gradually 
comes  in  :  small  glimpses  at  first,  after  their  midnight 
darkness,  and  a  word  or  two  of  comfort,  as  it  were  softly 
spoken  to  them  ;  they  have  a  little  taste  of  the  sweetness 
of  divine  grace  and  the  love  of  a  Savior,  when  terror  and 
distress  of  conscience  begins  to  be  turned  into  a  humble 
meek  sense  of  their  own  unworthiness  before  God  ;  and 
there  is  felt  inwardly,  perhaps,  some  disposition  to  praise 
God;  and  after  a  little  while  the  light  comes  in  more 
clearly  and  powerfully.  But  yet,  I  think,  more  frequently, 
great  terrors  have  been  followed  with  more  sudden  and 
great  light  and  comfort ;  when  the  sinner  seems  to  be,  as 
it  were,  subdued  and  brought  to  a  calm  from  a  kind  of 
tumult  of  mind,  then  God  gives  an  extraordinary  sense 
of  his  great  mercy  through  a  Redeemer. 

The  converting  influences  of  God's  Sjoirit  very  com- 
monly bring  an  extraordinary  con^vdction  of  the  reality 
and  certainty  of  the  great  things  of  religion  (though  in 
some  this  is  much  greater  some  time  after  conversion, 
than  at  first :)  they  have  a  sight  and  taste  of  the  divinity 
or  divine  excellency  there  is  in  the  things  of  the  Gospel, 
that  is  more  to  convince  them  than  reading  many  volumes 
of  argument  without  it.  It  seems  to  me  that  in  many  in 
stances  among  us,  when  the  divine  excellency  and  glory 


56  NARRATIVE    OF 

of  the  things  of  Christianity  have  been  set  before  persons, 
and  they  have  at  the  same  time,  as  it  were,  seen  and  tasted 
and  felt  the  divinity  of  them,  they  have  been  as  far  from 
doubting  of  the  truth  of  them  as  they  are  from  doubting 
whether  there  be  a  sun  when  their  eyes  are  open  in  the 
midst  of  a  clear  atmosphere,  and  the  strong  blaze  of  his 
light  overcomes  all  objections  against  his  being.  And  yet 
many  of  them,  if  we  should  ask  them  why  they  believe 
those  things  to  be  true,  would  not  be  able  well  to  ex- 
press or  communicate  a  sufficient  reason  to  satisfy  the 
inquirer,  and  perhaps  would  make  no  other  answer  but 
that  they  see  them  to  be  true  ;  but  a  person  may  soon 
be  satisfied,  by  a  particular  conversation  with  them,  that 
what  they  mean  by  such  an  answer  is,  that  they  have  in- 
tuitively beheld,  and  immediately  felt,  most  illustrious 
works  and  powerful  evidence  of  divinity  in  them. 

Some  are  thus  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel  in 
general,  and  that  the  Scriptures  are  the  word  of  God  : 
others  have  their  minds  more  especially  fixed  on  some 
particular  great  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  some  particular 
truths  that  they  are  meditating  on  ;  or  are  in  a  special 
manner  convinced  of  the  divinity  of  the  things  they  are 
reading  of  in  some  portion  of  Scripture.  Some  have  such 
convictions  in  a  much  more  remarkable  manner  than 
others.  And  there  are  some  that  never  had  such  a  spe- 
cial sense  of  the  certainty  of  divine  things  impressed 
upon  them  with  such  inward  evidence  and  strength,  who 
have  yet  very  clear  exercises  of  grace,  as  love  to  God, 
repentance  and  holiness  :  and  if  they  be  more  particu- 
larly examined,  they  appear  plainly  to  have  an  inward, 
firm  persuasion  of  the  reality  of  divine  things,  such  as 
they  did  not  use  to  have  before  their  conversion.    And 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  57 

those  that  have  the  most  clear  discoveries  of  divine  truth, 
in  the  manner  that  has  been  spoken  of,  cannot  have  this 
always  in  view.  When  the  sense  and  relish  of  the  divine 
excellency  of  these  things  fades  on  a  withdraw ment  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  they  have  not  the  medium  of  the  con- 
viction of  their  truth  at  command  :  in  a  dull  frame  they 
cannot  recall  the  idea  and  inward  sense  they  had  per- 
fectly to  mind  ;  things  appear  very  dim  to  what  they  did 
before  ;  and  though  there  still  remains  an  habitual,  strong 
persuasion  of  their  good  estate,  yet  it  is  not  so  as  to  ex- 
clude temptations  to  unbelief,  and  all  possibility  of  doubt- 
ing  as  before  ;  but  then  at  particular  times,  by  God's  help, 
the  same  sense  of  things  revives  again  like  fire  that  lay 
hid  in  ashes. 

I  suppose  the  grounds  of  such  a  conviction  of  the  trutb 
of  divine  things  to  be  just  and  rational,  but  yet  in  some 
God  makes  use  of  their  own  reason  much  more  sensibly 
than  in  others.  Oftentimes  persons  have  (so  far  as  could 
be  judged)  received  the  first  saving  conviction  from  rea- 
soning which  they  have  heard  from  the  pulpit ;  and  often 
in  the  course  of  reasoning  which  they  are  led  into  in  their 
own  meditations. 

The  arguments  are  the  same  that  they  have  heard  hun- 
dreds of  times,  but  the  force  of  the  arguments,  and  their 
conviction  of  them,  is  altogether  new  ;  they  come  with  a 
new  and  before  unexperienced  power  ;  before,  they  heard 
it  was  so,  and  they  allowed  it  to  be  so  ;  but  now  they  see 
it  to  be  so  indeed.  Things  now  look  exceedingly  plain 
to  them,  and  they  wonder  that  they  did  not  see  them 
before.  They  are  so  greatly  taken  with  their  new  disco- 
very, and  things  appear  so  plain  and  so  rational  to  them, 
that  they  are  often  at  first  ready  to  think  they   can  con 


58  NARRATIVE    OF 

vince  others,  and  are  apt  to  engage  in  talk  with  almost 
every  one  they  meet  to  this  end ;  and  w^hen  they  are  dis- 
appointed, are  ready  to  w^onder  that  their  reasonings 
seem  to  make  no  more  impression. 

Many  fall  under  such  a  mistake  as  to  be  ready  to  doubt 
of  their  good  estate  because  there  was  so  much  use  made 
of  their  oicn  reason  in  the  convictions  they  have  received ; 
they  are  afraid  that  they  have  no  illumination  above  the 
natural  force  of  their  own  faculties  ;  and  many  make  it 
an  objection  against  the  spirituality  of  their  convictions 
that  it  is  so  easy  to  see  things  as  they  now  see  them.  They 
have  often  heard  that  conversion  is  a  work  of  mighty 
power,  manifesting  to  the  soul  what  no  man  nor  angel 
can  give  such  a  conviction  of;  but  it  seems  to  them  that 
the  things  that  they  see  are  so  plain,  and  easy,  and  ra 
tional,  that  any  body  can  see  them  :  and  if  they  are  in- 
quired of  why  they  never  saw  so  before,  they  say  it  seems 
to  them  it  was  because  they  never  thought  of  it.  But 
very  often  these  difficulties  are  removed  by  those  of  an- 
other nature ;  for,  when  God  withdraws,  they  find  them- 
selves as  it  were  blind  again,  they  for  the  present  lose 
their  realizing  sense  of  those  things  that  looked  so  plain 
to  them,  and  by  all  that  they  can  do  they  cannot  recover 
it  till  God  renews  the  influences  of  his  Spirit, 

Persons  after  their  conversion  often  speak  of  things  of 
religion  as  seeming  new  to  them  ;  that  preaching  is  a  new 
thing ;  that  it  seems  to  them  they  never  heard  preaching 
before  ;  that  the  Bible  is  a  new  book  ;  they  find  there  new 
chapters,  new  psalms,  new  histories,  because  they  see 
them  in  a  new  light.  There  was  a  remarkable  instance 
of  an  aged  woman  of  above  seventy  years  that  had  spent 
most  of  her  days  under  Mr.  Stoddard's  powerful  ministry. 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  59 

who  reading  in  the  New  Testament  concerning  Christ  s 
sufferings  for  sinners,  seemed  to  be  surprised  and  aston- 
ished at  what  she  read,  as  at  a  thing  that  was  real  and 
very  wonderful,  but  quite  new  to  her,  insomuch  that  at 
first  before  she  had  time  to  turn  her  thoughts,  she  wonder- 
ed within  herself  that  she  had  never  heard  of  it  before ; 
but  then  immediately  recollected  herself,  and  thought  that 
she  had  often  heard  of  it  and  read  it,  but  never  until  now 
saw  it  as  a  thing  real ;  and  then  cast  in  her  mind  how 
wonderful  this  was,  that  the  Son  of  God  should  undergo 
such  things  for  sinners,  and  how  she  had  spent  her  time 
in  ungratefully  sinning  against  so  good  a  God  and  such  a 
Savior  ;  though  she  was  a  person,  as  to  what  was  visible, 
of  a  very  blameless  and  inoffensive  life.  And  she  was  so 
overcome  by  those  considerations  that  her  nature  was 
ready  to  fail  under  them.  Those  that  were  about  her, 
and  knew  not  what  was  the  matter,  were  surprised,  and 
thought  she  was  dying. 

Many  have  spoken  much  of  their  hearts  being  drawn 
out  in  love  to  God  and  Christ,  and  their  minds  being 
wrapt  up  in  delightful  contemplation  of  the  glory  and 
wonderful  grace  of  God,  and  the  excellency  and  dying 
love  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  their  souls  going  forth  in 
longing  desires  after  God  and  Christ.  Several  of  our 
young  children  have  expressed  rnuch  of  this,  and  have 
manifested  a  willingness  to  leave  father  and  mother,  and 
all  things  in  the  world,  to  go  to  be  with  Christ.  Some 
persons  have  had  longing  desires  after  Christ,  which 
have  risen  to  such  a  degree  as  to  take  away  their  natu- 
ral strength.  Some  have  been  so  overcome  with  a  sense 
of  the  dying  love  of  Christ  to  such  poor,  wretched,  and 
unworthy  creatures,  as  to  weaken  the  body.  Several  per- 


60  NARRATIVE    OF 

sons  have  had  so  great  a  sense  of  the  glory  of  God  and 
excellency  of  Christ,  that  nature  and  life  have  seemed 
almost  to  sink  under  it ;  and  in  all  probability  if  God  had 
showed  them  a  little  more  of  himself  it  would  have  dis- 
s<^lved  their  frame.  I  have  seen  some,  and  been  in  conver- 
saiion  with  them  in  such  frames,  who  have  certainly  been 
peifectly  sober,  and  very  remote  from  any  thing  like  en- 
thusiastic wildness,  and  have  talked,  when  able  to  speak 
of  the  glory  of  God's  perfections  and  the  wonderfulness 
of  his  grace  in  Christ,  and  their  own  unworthiness,  in 
such  a  manner  as  cannot  be  perfectly  expressed  after 
them.  Their  sense  of  their  exceeding  littleness  and  vile- 
ness,  and  their  disposition  to  abase  themselves  before 
God,  has  appeared  to  be  great  in  proportion  to  their  light 
and  joy. 

Such  persons  among  us  as  have  been  thus  distinguish- 
ed with  the  most  extraordinary  discoveries  of  God  and 
the  fulness  of  the  Gospel,  have  commonly  in  no  wise  ap- 
peared with  the  assuming,  and  self-conceited,  and  self- 
sufficient  airs  of  enthusiasts,  but  exceedingly  the  contrary; 
and  are  eminent  for  a  spirit  of  meekness,  modesty,  self- 
diffidence,  and  a  low  opinion  of  themselves.  No  persons 
seem  to  be  so  sensible  of  their  need  of  instruction,  and 
so  eager  to  receive  it,  as  some  of  them  ;  nor  so  ready  to 
think  others  better  than  themselves.  Those  that  have 
been  thought  to  be  converted  among  us,  have  generally 
manifested  a  longing  to  lie  low,  and  in  the  dust  before 
God,  withal  complaining  of  their  not  being  able  to  lie 
low  enough. 

They  very  often  speak  much  of  their  sense  of  the  ex- 
cellency of  the  way  of  salvation,  by  free  and  sovereign 
grace,  through  the  righteousness  of  Christ  alone;  and 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  61 

how  it  is  with  delight  that  they  renounce  their  own  righ- 
teousness, and  rejoice  in  having  no  account  made  of  it 
Many  have  expressed  themselves  to  this  purpose,  that  it 
would  lessen  the  satisfaction  they  hope  for  in  heaven,  to 
have  it  by  their  own  righteousness,  or  in  any  other  way 
than  as  bestowed  by  free  grace,  and  for  Christ's  sake 
alone.  They  speak  much  of  the  inexpressibleness  of  what 
they  experience,  how  their  words  fail,  so  that  they  can 
in  no  wise  declare  it ;  and  particularly  speak  with  ex- 
ceeding admiration  of  the  superlative  excellency  of  that 
pleasure  and  delight  of  soul  which  they  sometimes  enjoy  ; 
how  a  little  of  it  is  sufficient  to  pay  them  for  all  the  pains 
and  trouble  they  have  gone  through  in  seeking  salvation, 
and  how  far  it  exceeds  all  earthly  pleasures ;  and  some 
express  much  of  the  sense  which  these  spiritual  views 
give  them  of  the  vanity  of  earthly  enjoyments,  how  mean 
and  worthless  all  these  things  appear  to  them. 

Many,  while  their  minds  have  been  filled  with  spiritual 
delights,  have,  as  it  were,  forgotten  their  food ;  their  bo- 
dily appetite  has  failed,  while  their  minds  have  been  en- 
tertained with  meat  to  eat  that  others  kncio  not  of.  The 
light  and  comfort  which  some  of  them  enjoy  gives  a  new 
relish  to  their  common  blessings,  and  causes  all  things 
about  them  to  appear  as  it  were  beautiful,  sweet  and  plea- 
sant to  them  :  all  things  abroad,  the  sun,  moon  and  stars, 
the  clouds  and  sky,  the  heavens  alid  earth,  appear  as  it 
were  with  a  cast  of  divine  glory  and  sweetness  upon  them. 
The  sweetest  joy  that  these  good  people  amongst  us  ex- 
press, though  it  include  in  it  a  dehghtful  sense  of  the  safe- 
ty of  their  own  state  and  that  now  they  are  out  of  danger 
of  hell,  yet  frequently  in  times  of  their  highest  spiritual 
entertainment  this  seems  not  to  be  the  chief  object  of 


62  NARRATIVE    OP 

their  fixed  thought  and  meditation  :  the  supreme  atten- 
tion of  their  minds  is  to  the  glorious  excellencies  of  God 
and  Christ,  which  they  have  in  vievv^ ;  not  but  that  there 
is  very  often  a  ravishing  sense  of  God's  love  accompany- 
ing a  sense  of  his  excellency,  and  they  rejoice  in  a  sense 
of  the  faithfulness  of  God's  promises  as  they  respect  the 
future  eternal  enjoyment  of  God. 

The  joy  that  many  of  them  speak  of  as  that  to  which 
none  is  to  be  paralleled,  is  that  which  they  find  when 
they  are  lowest  in  the  dust,  emptied  most  of  themselves, 
and  as  it  were  annihilating  themselves  before  God ;  when 
they  are  nothing,  and  God  is  all ;  when  they  see  their  own 
unworthiness,  depending  not  at  all  on  themselves,  but 
alone  on  Christ,  and  ascribing  all  glory  to  God  :  then  their 
souls  are  most  in  the  enjoyment  of  satisfying  rest ;  ex- 
cepting that,  at  such  times,  they  apprehend  themselves  to 
be  not  sufficiently  self-abased ;  for  then  above  all  times 
do  they  long  to  be  lower.  Some  speak  much  of  the  ex- 
quisite sweetness  and  rest  of  soul  that  is  to  be  found  in 
the  exercise  of  a  spirit  of  resignation  to  God,  and  hum- 
ble submission  to  his  will.  Many  express  earnest  long- 
ings of  soul  to  praise  God ;  but  at  the  same  time  complain 
that  they  cannot  praise  him  as  they  would  do,  and  they 
want  to  have  others  help  them  in  praising  him  :  they  want 
to  have  every  one  praise  God,  and  are  ready  to  call  upon 
every  thing  to  praise  him.  They  express  a  longing  desire 
to  live  to  God's  glory  and  to  do  something  to  his  honor ; 
but  at  the  same  time  cry  out  of  their  insufficiency  and  bar- 
renness, that  they  are  poor  impotent  creatures,  can  do 
nothing  of  themselves,  and  are  utterly  insufficient  to  glo- 
rify their  Creator  and  Redeemer. 

While  God  was  so  remarkably  present  among  us  by  his 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  63 

Spirit,  there  was  no  book  so  delighted  in  as  the  Bible j 
especially  the  book  of  Psalms,  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah, 
and  the  New  Testament.  Some,  by  reason  of  their  esteem 
and  love  to  God's  word,  have  at  some  times  been  great- 
ly and  wonderfully  delighted  and  affected  at  the  sight  of 
a  Bible ;  and  then,  also,  there  was  no  time  so  prized  as  „,- 
the  Lord's  day,  and  no  place  in  this  world  so  desired  as 
God's  house.  Our  converts  then  appeared  remarkably 
united  in  dear  affection  to  one  another,  and  many  have 
expressed  much  of  the  spirit  of  love  which  they  felt  to  all 
mankind,  and  particularly  to  those  that  had  been  least 
friendly  to  them.  Never,  I  believe,  was  so  much  done  in 
confessing  injuries  and  making  up  differences  as  the  last 
year.  Persons  after  their  own  conversion  have  common- 
ly expressed  an  exceeding  desire  for  the  conversion  of 
others :  some  have  thought  that  they  should  be  willing  to 
die  for  the  conversion  of  any  soul,  though  of  one  of  the 
meanest  of  their  fellow-creatures,  or  of  their  worst  ene- 
mies ;  and  many  have  indeed  been  in  great  distress  with 
desires  and  longings  for  such  a  blessing.  This  work  of 
God  had  also  a  good  effect  to  unite  the  people's  affections 
much  to  their  minister. 

There  are  some  persons  that  I  have  been  acquainted 
with,  but  more  especially  two,  that  belong  to  other  towns, 
who  have  been  swallowed  up  exceedingly  with  a  sense 
of  the  awful  greatness  and  majesty  of  God;  and  both  of 
them  told  me  to  this  purpose,  that  if  they  in  the  time  of  it 
had  had  the  least  fear  that  they  were  not  at  peace  with 
tl  is  so  great  a  God,  they  should  instantly  have  died. 

It  is  worthy  to  be  remarked  that  some  persons  by  their 
conversion  seem  to  be  greatly  helped  as  to  their  doctrinal 
notions  of  religion.     This  was  particularly  remarkable  in 


.  f 


64  NARRATIVE    OP 

one,  who  having  been  taken  captive  in  his  childhood,  was 
trained  up  in  Canada,  in  the  popish  religion ;  and  some 
years  since  returned  to  this  his  native  place,  and  was  in 
a  measure  brought  off  from  popery,  but  seemed  very  awk- 
ward and  dull  as  to  receiving  any  true  and  clear  notion 
of  the  protestant  scheme  till  he  was  converted ;  and  then 
he  was  remarkably  altered  in  this  respect. 

There  is  a  vast  difference,  as  has  been  observed,  in  the 
degree  and  also  in  the  particular  manner  of  persons'  ex- 
periences, both  at  and  after  conversion ;  some  have  grace 
working  more  sensibly  in  one  way,  others  in  another. 
Some  speak  more  fully  of  a  conviction  of  the  justice  of 
God  in  their  condemnation  ;  others  more  of  their  consent- 
ing to  the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ;  some,  more  of  the 
actings  of  love  to  God  and  Christ;  some,  more  of  acts  of 
affiance,  in  a  sweet  and  assured  conviction  of  the  truth  and 
faithfulness  of  God  in  his  promises  ;  others  more  of  their 
choosing  and  resting  in  God  as  their  whole  and  everlast- 
ing portion,  and  of  their  ardent  and  longing  desires  after 
God  to  have  communion  with  him ;  others  more  of  their 
abhorrence  of  themselves  for  their  past  sins,  and  earnest 
longings  to  live  to  God's  glory  for  the  time  to  come ; 
some  have  their  minds  fixed  more  on  God,  others  on 
Christ,  as  I  have  observed  before,  (and  I  am  afraid  of  too 
much  repetition,)  but  it  seems  evidently  to  be  the  same 
work,  the  same  thing  done,  the  same  habitual  change 
wrought  in  the  heart ;  it  all  tends  the  same  way,  and 
to  the  same  end  ;  and  it  is  plainly  the  same  Spirit  that 
breathes  and  acts  in  various  persons.  There  is  an  endless 
variety  in  the  particular  manner  and  circumstances  in 
which  persons  are  wrought  on,  and  an  opportunity  of  see- 
ing so  much  of  such  a  work  of  God  will  show  that  God  is 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  65 

further  from  confining  himself  to  certain  steps,  and  a  par- 
ticular method  in  his  work  on  souls,  than  it  may  be  some 
imagine.  I  believe  it  has  occasioned  some  good  people 
amongst  us,  that  were  before  too  ready  to  make  their 
own  experience  a  rule  to  others,  to  be  less  censorious  and 
more  extended  in  their  charity,  and  this  is  an  excel- 
lent advantaQ:e  indeed.  The  work  of  God  has  been  o^lori- 
JUS  in  its  variety  :  it  has  the  more  displayed  the  manifold- 
ness  and  unsearchableness  of  the  wisdom  of  God,  and 
wrought  more  charity  among  his  people. 

There  is  a  great  difference  among  those  that  are  con- 
verted as  to  the  degree  of  hope  and  satisfaction  that  they 
have  concerning  their  own  state.  Some  have  a  high  de- 
gree of  satisfaction  in  this  respect,  almost  constantly  : 
and  yet  it  is  rare  that  any  do  enjoy  so  full  an  assurance 
of  their  interest  in  Christ  that  self-examination  should 
seem  needless  to  them ;  unless  it  be  at  particular  seasons, 
while  in  the  actual  enjoyment  of  some  great  discovery 
that  God  gives  of  his  glory  and  rich  grace  in  Christ,  to 
the  drawing  forth  of  extraordinary  acts  of  grace.  But  the 
greater  part,  as  they  sometimes  fall  into  dead  frames  of 
spirit,  are  frequently  exercised  with  scruples  and  fears 
concerning  their  condition. 

They  generally  have  an  awful  apprehension  of  the 
dreadfulness  and  undoing  nature  of  a  false  hope  ;  and 
there  has  been  observable  in  most  a  great  caution,  lest  in 
giving  an  account  of  their  experiences,  they  should  say 
too  much  and  use  too  strong  terms  :  and  many,  after  they 
have  related  their  experiences,  have  been  greatly  afflicted 
with  fears  lest  they  have  played  the  hypocrite  and  used 
stronger  terms  than  their  case  would  fairly  allow  of;  and 
yet  could  not  find  how  they  could  correct  themselves. 


66  NARRATIVE    OF 

I  think  that  the  main  ground  of  the  doubts  and  fears 
that  persons,  after  their  conversion,  have  been  exercised 
with  about  their  own  state,  has  been  that  they  have  found 
so  much  corruption  remaining  in  their  hearts.  At  first  their 
souls  seem  to  be  all  alive,  their  hearts  are  fixed  and 
their  affections  flowing ;  they  seem  to  live  quite  above  the 
world,  and  meet  with  but  little  difficulty  in  religious  ex- 
ercises ;  and  they  are  ready  to  think  it  will  always  be  so. 
Though  they  are  truly  abased  under  a  sense  of  their 
vileness  by  reason  of  former  acts  of  sin,  yet  they  are  not 
then  sufficiently  sensible  what  corruption  still  remains  in 
their  hearts ;  and  therefore  are  surprised  when  they  find 
that  they  begin  to  be  in  dull  and  dead  frames,  to  be 
troubled  with  wandering  thoughts  in  the  time  of  public 
and  private  worship,  and  be  utterly  unable  to  exclude 
them ;  also,  when  they  find  themselves  unaffected  at 
seasons  in  which  they  think  there  is  the  greatest  occasion 
to  be  affected ;  and  when  they  feel  worldly  dispositions 
working  in  them,  it  may  be  pride,  and  envy,  and  stir- 
rings of  revenge,  or  some  ill  spirit  towards  some  person 
that  has  injured  them,  as  well  as  other  workings  of  in- 
dwelling sin ;  their  hearts  are  almost  sunk  with  disap- 
pointment, and  they  are  ready  presently  to  think  that 
all  which  they  have  met  with  is  nothing,  and  that  they 
are  mere  hypocrites. 

They  are  ready  to  argue,  that  if  God  had  indeed  done 
such  great  things  for  them  as  they  hoped,  such  ingrati- 
tude would  be  inconsistent  with  it ;  they  cry  out  of  the 
hardness  and  wickedness  of  their  hearts,  and  say  there 
is  so  much  corruption  that  it  seems  to  them  impossible 
that  there  should  be  any  goodness  there.  Many  of  them 
seem  to  be  much  more  sensible  how  corrupt  their  hearts 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  67 

are,  than  ever  they  were  before  they  were  converted ; 
and  some  have  been,  too  ready  to  be  impressed  with  fear, 
that  instead  of  becoming  better,  they  are  grown  much 
worse,  and  make  it  an  argument  against  the  goodness  of 
their  state.  But  in  truth  the  case  seems  plainly  to  be, 
that  now  they  feel  the  pain  of  their  own  wound  ;  they 
have  a  watchful  eye  upon  their  hearts  that  they  did  not 
use  to  have  ;  they  take  more  notice  what  sin  is  there, 
and  sin  is  now  more  burdensome  to  them ;  they  strive 
more  against  it  and  feel  more  of  the  strength  of  it. 

They  are  somewhat  surprised  that  they  should  in 
this  respect  find  themselves  so  different  from  the  idea 
that  they  generally  had  entertained  of  godly  persons  ;  for 
though  grace  be  indeed  of  a  far  more  excellent  nature 
than  they  imagined,  yet  those  that  are  godly  have  much 
less  of  it,  and  much  more  remaining  corruption  than  they 
thought.  They  never  realized  it  that  persons  were  wont 
to  meet  with  such  difficulties  after  they  were  once  con- 
verted. When  they  are  thus  exercised  with  doubts  about 
their  state  through  the  deadness  of  their  frames  of  spirit^ 
as  long  as  these  frames  last  they  are  commonly  unable  to 
satisfy  themselves  that  they  truly  have  grace,  by  all  their 
self-examination.  When  they  hear  the  signs  of  grace 
laid  down  for  them  to  try  themselves  by,  they  are  often 
so  clouded  that  they  do  not  know  how  to  apply  them ; 
they  hardly  know  whether  they  have  such  and  such 
things  in  them  or  not,  and  whether  they  have  experienced 
them  or  not  :  that  which  was  sweetest  and  best  and  most 
distinguishing  in  their  experiences  they  cannot  recover  a 
sense  or  idea  of.  But  on  a  return  of  the  influences  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  to  revive  the  lively  actings  of  grace,  the 
light  breaks  through  th^  cloud,  and  doubting  and  dark-" 
ness  soon  vanish  away. 


68  NARRATIVE    OP 

Persons  are  often  revived  out  of  their  dead  and  dark 
frames  by  religious  conversatio7i :  while  they  are  talking 
of  divine  things,  or  ever  they  are  aware,  their  souls  are 
carried  away  into  holy  exercises  with  abundant  plea- 
sure. And  oftentimes,  while  they  are  relating  their  past 
experiences  to  their  christian  brethren,  they  have  a  fresh 
sense  of  them  revived,  and  the  same  experiences  in  a  de- 
gree again  renewed.  Sometimes  while  persons  are  exer- 
cised in  mind  with  several  objections  against  the  good- 
ness of  their  state,  they  have  Scriptures  one  after  another 
coming  to  their  minds  to  answer  their  scruples  and  unra- 
vel their  difficulties,  exceedingly  apposite  and  proper  to 
their  circumstances,  by  which  means  their  darkness  is 
scattered  ;  and  often  before  the  bestowment  of  any  new 
remarkable  comfort,  especially  after  long-continued  dead- 
ness  and  ill  frames,  there  are  renewed  humblings  in  a 
great  sense  of  their  own  exceeding  vileness  and  unwor- 
thiness,  as  before  their  first  comforts  were  bestowed. 

Many  in  the  country  have  entertained  a  mean  thought 
of  this  great  work  that  there  has  been  amongst  us,  fi-om 
what  they  have  heard  of  impressions  that  have  been  made 
on  persons'  imaginations.  But  there  have  been  exceed- 
ing great  misrepresentations  and  innumerable  false  re- 
ports concerning  that  matter.  It  is  not  that  I  know  of  the 
profession  or  opinion  of  any  one  person  in  the  town,  that 
any  weight  is  to  be  attached  to  any  thing  seen  with  the 
bodily  eye  :  I  know  the  contrary  to  be  a  received  and 
established  principle  amongst  us.  I  cannot  say  that  there 
have  been  no  instances  of  persons  that  have  been  ready 
to  give  too  much  heed  to  vain  and  useless  imaginations, 
but  they  have  been  easily  corrected,  and  I  conclude  it 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  69 

will  not  be  wondered  at  that  a  congregation  should  need 
a  guide  in  such  cases  to  assist  them  in  distinffuishino- 
wheat  from  chaff.  But  such  impressions  on  the  imagina- 
tion as  have  been  more  usual,  seem  to  me  to  be  no  other 
than  what  is  to  be  expected  in  human  nature  in  such  cir- 
cumstances, and  what  is  the  natural  result  of  the  strong 
exercise  of  the  mind  and  impressions  on  the  heart. 

I  do  not  suppose  that  they  themselves  imagined  that 
they  saw  any  thing  with  their  bodily  eyes ;  but  only  have 
had  within  them  ideas  strongly  impressed,  and  as  it  were 
lively  pictures  in  their  minds  :  as  for  instance,  some  when 
in  great  terrors  through  fear  of  hell  have  had  lively  ideas 
of  a  dreadful  furnace.  Some  when  their  hearts  have  been 
strongly  impressed,  and  their  affections  greatly  moved 
with  a  sense  of  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  Christ,  it 
has  wrought  on  their  imaginations  so,  that  together  with 
a  sense  of  his  glorious  spiritual  perfections,  there  has 
risen  in  the  mind  an  idea  of  one  of  glorious  majesty  and 
of  a  sweet  and  gracious  aspect  :  so  some,  when  they 
have  been  greatly  affected  with  Christ's  death,  have  at 
the  same  time  a  lively  idea  of  Christ  hanging  upon  the 
cross,  and  of  his  blood  running  from  his  wounds ;  which 
things  will  not  be  wondered  at  by  them  that  have  ob- 
served how  strong  affections  about  temporal  matters  will 
excite  lively  ideas  and  pictures  of  different  things  in 
the  mind. 

But  yet  the  vigorous  exercise  of  the  mind  does  doubt- 
less more  strongly  impress  it  with  imaginary  ideas  in  some 
than  in  others,  which  probably  may  arise  from  the  differ- 
ence of  constitution,  and  seems  evidently  in  some  partly 
to  arise  from  their  peculiar  circumstances.  When  per- 
sons have  been  exercised  with  extreme  terrors,  and  there 


70  NARRATIVE    OP 

is  a  sudden  change  to  light  and  joy,  the  imagination 
seems  more  susceptive  of  strong  ideas,  and  the  inferior 
powers,  and  even  the  frame  of  the  body,  are  much  more 
affected  and  wrought  upon  than  when  the  same  persons 
have  as  great  spiritual  light  and  joy  afterwards  ;  of  which 
it  might  perhaps  be  easy  to  give  a  reason.  The  foremen- 
tioned  Rev.  Messrs.  Lord  and  Owen,  who,  I  believe,  are 
esteemed  persons  of  learning  and  discretion  where  they 
are  best  known,  declared  that  they  found  these  impres- 
sions on  persons'  imaginations  very  different  from  what 
fame  had  represented  to  them,  and  that  they  were  what 
none  need  to  wonder  at,  or  be  stumbled  by,  or  to  that 
purpose. 

There  have  indeed  been  some  few  instances  of  im- 
pressions on  persons'  imaginations,  that  have  been 
something  mysterious  to  me,  and  I  have  been  at  a  loss 
about  them ;  for  though  it  has  been  exceeding  evident 
to  me,  by  many  things  that  appeared  in  them,  both  then 
(when  they  related  them)  and  afterwards,  that  they  in- 
deed had  a  great  sense  of  the  spiritual  excellency  of 
divine  things  accompanying  them ;  yet  I  have  not  been 
able  well  to  satisfy  myself,  whether  their  imaginary 
ideas  have  been  more  than  could  naturally  arise  from 
their  spiritual  sense  of  things.  However,  I  have  used 
the  utmost  caution  in  such  cases  ;  great  care  has  been 
taken,  both  in  public  and  in  private,  to  teach  persons  the 
difference  between  what  is  spiritual  and  what  is  imagi- 
nary. I  have  often  warned  persons  not  to  lay  the  stress 
of  their  hope  on  any  ideas  of  any  outward  glory,  or  any 
externctl  thing  whatsoever,  and  have  met  with  no  oppo- 
sition in  such  instructions.  But  it  is  not  strange  if  some 
weaker  persons,  in  giving  an  account  of  their  experi 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  71 

ences,  have  not  so  prudently  distinguished  between  the 
spiritual  and  imaginary  part ;  which  some,  that  have  not 
been  well  affected  to  religion,  might  take  advantage  of. 
There  has  been  much  talk  in  many  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, as  though  the  people  here  have  symbolized  with 
certain  wild  and  fanatical  sects,  some  of  whom  have  visit- 
ed us  in  the  hope  of  adding  to  their  number,  but  with- 
out the  least  success,  and  they  seem  to  be  discouraged, 
and  have  left  off  coming. — There  have  also  been  reports 
spread  about  the  country,  as  though  the  first  occasion  of 
so  remarkable  a  concern  on  people's  minds  here,  was 
an  apprehension  that  the  world  was  near  to  an  end, 
which  was  altogether  a  false  report :  indeed  after  this 
stirring  and  concern  became  so  general  and  extraordi- 
nary as  has  been  related,  the  minds  of  some  were  filled 
with  speculation  what  so  great  a  dispensation  of  divine 
Providence  might  forebode;  and  some  reports  were 
heard  from  abroad,  as  though  certain  divines  and  others 
thought  the  conflagration  was  nigh  :  but  such  reports 
were  never  generally  looked  upon  as  worthy  of  notice. 

The  work  that  has  now  been  wrought  on  souls  is  evi- 
dently the  same  that  was  wrought  in  my  venerable  pre- 
decessor's days ;  as  I  have  had  abundant  opportunity 
to  know,  having  been  in  the  ministry  here  two  years 
with  him,  and  so  conversed  with  ^  considerable  number 
that  my  grandfather  thought  to  be  savingly  converted  in 
that  time  ;  and  having  been  particularly  acquainted  with 
the  experiences  of  many  that  were  converted  under  his 
ministry  before.  And  I  know  no  one  of  them  that  in  the 
least  doubts  of  its  being  of  the  same  Spirit,  and  the  same 
work.    Persons  have  now  no  otherwise  been  subject  to 


72  NARRATIVE    OP 

impressions  on  their  imaginations  than  formerly :  the 
work  is  of  the  same  nature,  and  has  not  been  attended 
with  any  extraordinary  circumstances,  excepting  such  as 
are  analogous  to  the  extraordinary  degree  of  it  before 
described. — And  God's  people  that  were  formerly  con- 
verted, have  now  partaken  of  the  same  shower  of  divine 
blessing,  in  the  renewing,  strengthening,  edifying  influ- 
ences of  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  others  have  in  his  con- 
verting influences ;  and  the  work  here  has  also  been 
plainly  the  same  with  that  which  has  been  wrought  in 
individuals  of  other  places  that  have  been  mentioned,  as 
partaking  of  the  same  blessing.  I  have  particularly  con- 
versed with  persons  about  their  experiences,  that  belong 
to  all  parts  of  the  county,  and  in  various  parts  of  Con- 
necticut, where  a  religious  concern  has  lately  appeared ; 
and  have  been  informed  of  the  experiences  of  many 
others  by  their  own  pastors. 

It  is  easily  perceived  by  the  foregoing  account,  that  it 
is  very  much  the  practice  of  the  people  here  to  converse 
freely  one  with  another  of  their  spiritual  experiences, 
which  is  a  thing  that  to  many  has  given  offence.  But 
however  our  people  may  have,  in  some  respects,  gone 
to  extremes  in  it,  yet  it  is  doubtless  a  practice  that  the 
circumstances  of  this  town,  and  neighboring  towns,  have 
naturally  led  them  into.  Whatsoever  people  are  in  such 
circumstances,  where  all  have  their  minds  engaged  to 
such  a  degree  in  the  same  work  that  is  ever  uppermost 
in  their  thoughts,  they  will  naturally  make  it  the  subject 
of  conversation  one  with  another  when  they  get  together, 
in  which  they  will  grow  more  and  more  free  :  restraints 
will  soon  vanish,  and  they  will  not  conceal  from  one 
another  what  they  meet  with.    And  it  has  been  a  prac- 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  73 

tice,  which,  in  the  general,  has  been  attended  with  many- 
good  effects,  and  which  God  has  greatly  blessed  amongst 
us  :  but  it  must  be  confessed,  there  may  have  been  some 
ill  consequences  of  it,  which  yet  are  rather  to  be  laid  to 
the  indiscreet  management  of  it,  than  to  the  practice  it 
self;  and  none  can  wonder,  if,  among  such  a  multitude, 
some  fail  of  exercising  as  much  prudence  in  choosing 
the  time,  manner  and  occasion  of  such  discourse,  as  is 
desirable. 

THE    CONVERSION    OF    ABIGAIL    HUTCHINSON. 

But  to  give  a  clearer  idea  of  the  nature  and  manner  of 
the  operations  of  God's  Spirit  in  this  wonderful  effusion 
of  it,  I  would  give  an  account  of  two  particular  instances. 
The  first  is  an  adult  person,  a  young  woman  whose  name 
was  Abigail  Hutchinson.  I  select  her  case  especially, 
because  she  is  now  dead,  and  so  it  may  be  more  fit  to 
speak  freely  of  her  than  of  lining  instances  ;  though  I  am 
under  far  greater  disadvantages  on  other  accounts,  to 
give  a  full  and  clear  narrative  of  her  experiences  than  I 
mio-ht  of  some  others  ;  nor  can  any  account  be  given  but 
what  has  been  retained  in  the  memories  of  her  near 
friends  and  some  others,  of  what  they  have  heard  her 
express  in  her  lifetime. 

She  was  of  a  rational,  intelligent  family ;  there  could  be 
nothing  in  her  education  that  tended  to  enthusiasm,  but 
rather  to  the  contrary  extreme.  It  is  in  no  wise  the 
temper  of  the  family  to  be  ostentatious  of  experiences, 
and  it  was  far  from  being  her  temper.  She  was,  before 
her  conversion,  to  the  observation  of  her  neighbors,  of  a 
sober  and  inoffensive  conversation,  and  was  a  still,  quiet, 
reserved  person.  She  had  long  been  infirm  of  body,  but  her 

Revival  of  R el.  ^ 


74  NARRATIVE    OF 

infirmity  had  never  been  observed  at  all  to  incline  her  to 
be  notional  or  fanciful,  or  occasion  anything  of  religious 
melancholy.  She  was  under  awakenings  scarcely  a  week 
before  there  seemed  to  be  plain  evidence  of  her  being 
savingly  converted. 

She  was  first  awakened  in  the  winter  season,  on  Mon- 
day, by  something  she  heard  her  brother  say  of  the  ne- 
cessity of  being  in  good  earnest  in  seeking  regenera- 
ting grace,  together  with  the  news  of  the  conversion  of 
the  young  woman  before  mentioned,  whose  conversion 
so  generally  affected  most  of  the  young  people  here. 
This  news  wrought  much  upon  her,  and  stirred  up  a 
spirit  of  envy  in  her  towards  this  young  woman,  whom 
she  thought  very  unworthy  of  being  distinguished  from 
others  by  such  a  mercy,  but  withal  it  engaged  her  in  a 
firm  resolution  to  do  her  utmost  to  obtain  the  same  bless- 
ing ;  and,  considering  wuK  herself  what  course  she  should 
take,  she  thought  that  she  had  not  a  sufficient  knowledge 
of  the  principles  of  religion  to  render  her  capable  of  con- 
version ;  whereupon  she  resolved  thoroughly  to  search 
the  Scriptures,  and  accordingly  immediately  began  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Bible,  intending  to  read  it  through.  She 
continued  thus  till  Thursday,  and  then  there  was  a  sud- 
den alteration,  by  a  great  increase  of  her  concern,  in  an 
extraordinary  sense  of  her  own  sinfulness,  particularly  the 
sinfulness  of  her  nature,  and  the  wickedness  of  her  heart, 
which  came  upon  her  (as  she  expressed  it)  as  a  flash  of 
lightning,  and  struck  an  exceeding  terror  upon  her.  Upon 
which  she  left  off  reading  the  Bible  in  course  as  she  had 
begun,  and  turned  to  the  New  Testament,  to  see  if  she 
could  not  find  some  relief  there  for  her  distressed  soul. 
Her  great  terror,  she  said,  was  that  she  had  sinned 


THE   WORK    OP    GOD.  75 

against  God :  her  disti'ess  grew  more  and  more  for  three 
days,  until  (as  she  said)  she  saw  nothing  but  the  black- 
ness of  darkness  before  her,  and  her  very  flesh  trembled 
for  fear  of  God's  wrath  ;  she  wondered  and  was  aston- 
ished at  herself,  that  she  had  been  so  concerned  for  her 
body,  and  had  applied  so  often  to  physicians  to  heal  that, 
and  had  neglected  her  soul.  Her  sinfulness  appeared 
with  a  very  awful  aspect  to  her,  especially  in  three 
things,  viz.  her  original  sin  in  murmuring  at  God's  pro- 
vidence in  the  weakness  and  afflictions  she  had  been 
under,  and  in  want  of  duty  to  parents,  though  others  had 
regarded  her  as  excelling  in  dutifulness.  On  Saturday 
she  was  earnestly  engaged  in  reading  the  Bible  and 
other  books,  and  continued  in  it,  searching  for  something 
to  relieve  her,  till  her  eyes  were  so  dim  that  she  could 
not  distinguish  the  letters.  Whilst  she  was  thus  engaged 
in  reading,  prayer,  and  other  religious  exercises,  she 
thought  of  those  words  of  Christ,  wherein  he  warns  us 
not  to  be  as  the  heathen,  that  think  they  shall  be  heard 
for  their  much  speaking ;  which,  she  said,  led  her  to  see 
that  she  had  trusted  to  her  own  prayers  and  religious 
performances,  and  now  she  knew  not  which  way  to  turn 
herself,  or  where  to  seek  relief. 

While  her  mind  was  in  this  posture,  her  heart,  she 
said,  seemed  to  fly  to  the  minister  for  refuge,  hoping  that 
he  could  give  her  some  relief.  Slie  came  the  same  day 
to  her  brother  with  the  countenance  of  a  person  in  dis- 
tress, expostulating  with  him  why  he  had  not  told  her 
more  of  her  sinfulness,  and  earnestly  inquiring  of  him 
what  she  should  do.  She  seemed,  that  day,  to  feel  in 
herself  an  enmity  against  the  Bible,  which  greatly  af- 
frighted her.    Her  sense  of  her  own  exceeding  sinfulness 


76  NARRATIVE    OP 

continued  increasing  from  Thursday  till  Monday,  and 
she  gave  this  account  of  it,  that  it  had  been  an  opinion, 
w^hich  till  now  she  had  entertained,  that  she  was  not 
guilty  of  Adam's  sin  nor  any  way  concerned  in  it,  be- 
cause she  was  not  active  in  it ;  but  that  now  she  saw  she 
was  guilty  of  that  sin,  and  all  over  defiled  by  it,  and  that 
the  sin  which  she  brought  into  the  world  with  her  was 
alone  sufficient  to  condemn  her. 

On  the  Sabbath  she  was  so  ill  that  her  friends  thought 
it  not  best  that  she  should  go  to  public  worship,  of  which 
she  seemed  very  desirous  ;  but  when  she  went  to  bed  on 
Sabbath  night,  she  formed  a  resolution  that  she  would, 
the  next  morning,  go  to  the  minister,  hoping  to  find  some 
relief  there.  As  she  awaked  on  Monday  morning  a  little 
before  day,  she  wondered  within  herself  at  the  easiness 
and  calmness  she  felt  in  her  mind,  which  was  of  a  kind 
which  she  never  felt  before.  As  she  thought  of  this,  such 
words  as  these  were  in  her  mind  :  "  The  words  of  the 
Lord  are  pure  words,  health  to  the  soul  and  marrow  to 
the  bones  ;"  and  then  these  words  came  to  her  mind — 
**  The  blood  of  Christ  cleanseth  from  all  sin ;"  which 
were  accompanied  with  a  lively  sense  of  the  excellency  of 
Christ,  and  his  sufficiency  to  satisfy  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world.  She  then  thought  of  that  expression — "  It 
is  a  pleasant  thing  for  the  eyes  to  behold  the  sun  " — 
which  words  then  seemed  to  her  to  be  very  applicable  to 
Jesus  Christ.  By  these  things  her  mind  was  led  into 
such  contemplations  and  views  of  Christ  as  filled  her 
with  exceeding  joy.  She  told  her  brother  in  the  morning 
that  she  had  seen  (i.  e.  in  realizing  views  by  faith)  Christ 
the  last  night,  and  that  she  had  really  thought  that  she 
had  not  knowledge  enough  to  be  converted  ;  but,  said 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  77 

she,  God  can  make  it  quite  easy  !  On  Monday  she  felt 
all  day  a  constant  sweetness  in  her  soul.  She  had  a  re- 
petition of  the  same  discoveries  of  Christ  three  mornings 
together,  that  she  had  on  Monday  morning,  and  much  in 
the  same  manner  at  each  time,  waking  a  little  before  day, 
but  brighter  and  brighter  every  time. 

At  the  last  time,  on  Wednesday  morning,  while  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  spiritual  view  of  Christ's  glory  and  ful- 
ness, her  soul  was  filled  with  distress  for  chiistless  per- 
sons, considering  what  a  miserable  condition  they  were 
in  ;  and  she  felt  in  herself  a  strong  inclination  immediate- 
ly to  go  forth  to  warn  sinners,  and  proposed  it  the  next 
day  to  her  brother  to  assist  her  in  going  from  house  to 
house,  but  her  brother  restrained  her,  urorinor  the  unsuit- 
ableness  of  such  a  method.  She  told  one  of  her  sisters 
that  day,  that  she  loved  all  mankind,  but  especially  the 
people  of  God.  Her  sister  asked  her  why  she  loved  all 
mankind  ]  She  replied,  because  God  has  made  them. 
After  this  there  happened  to  come  into  the  shop  where 
she  was  at  work,  three  persons  that  were  thought  to  have 
been  lately  converted  ;  her  seeing  them,  as  they  stepped 
one  after  another  into  the  door,  so  affected  her,  and  so 
drew  forth  her  love  to  them,  that  it  overcame  her,  and 
she  almost  fainted ;  and  when  they  began  to  talk  of  the 
things  of  religion,  it  was  more  than  she  could  bear — they 
were  obliged  to  cease  on  that  account.  It  was  a  very 
frequent  thing  with  her  to  be  overcome  with  a  flow  of  af- 
fection to  them  that  she  thought  godly,  in  conversation 
with  them,  and  sometimes  only  at  the  sight  of  them. 

She  had  many  extraordinary  discoveries  of  the  glory 
of  God  and  Christ ;  sometimes  in  some  particular  attri- 
butes, and   sometimes  in  many.    She  gave  an  account, 


78  NARRATIVE    OP 

that  once,  as  those  four  words  passed  through  her  mind, 
WISDOM,  JUSTICE,  GOODNESS,  TRUTH,  her  soul  was  filled 
with  a  sense  of  the  glory  of  each  of  these  divine  attri- 
butes, but  especially  the  last. — Truth,  she  said,  sunk  the 
deepest !  and,  therefore,  as  these  words  passed,  this  was 
repeated,  truth,  truth!  Her  mind  was  so  swallowed 
up  with  a  sense  of  the  glory  of  God's  truth  and  other 
perfections,  that  she  said  it  seemed  as  though  her  life 
was  going,  and  that  she  saw  it  was  easy  with  God  to 
take  away  her  life  by  discoveries  of  himself.  Soon 
after  this  she  went  to  a  private  religious  meeting,  and 
her  mind  was  full  of  a  sense  and  view  of  the  glory  of 
God  all  the  time ;  and  when  the  exercise  was  ended, 
some  asked  her  concerning  what  she  had  experienced ; 
and  she  began  to  give  them  an  account,  but  as  she  was 
relating  it,  it  revived  such  a  sense  of  the  same  things, 
that  her  strength  failed,  and  they  were  obliged  to  take 
her  and  lay  her  upon  the  bed.  Afterwards  she  was  greatly 
affected,  and  rejoiced  with  these  words  :  Worthy  is  the 
Lainh  that  was  slain. 

She  had  several  days  together  a  sweet  sense  of  the  ex- 
cellency and  loveliness  of  Christ  in  his  meekness,  which 
disposed  her  continually  to  be  repeating  over  these 
words,  which  were  sweet  to  her,  meek  and  lowly  in 

HEART,  meek  AND  LOWLY  IN  HEART.      She  OUCO  exprOSSod 

herself  to  one  of  her  sisters  to  this  purpose,  that  she  had 
continued  whole  days  and  whole  nights,  in  a  constant 
ravishing  view  of  the  glory  of  God  and  Christ,  having  en- 
joyed as  much  as  her  life  could  bear.  Once  as  her  bro- 
ther was  speaking  of  the  dying  love  of  Christ,  she  told 
him  that  she  had  such  a  sense  of  it  that  the  mere  men- 
tioning it  was  ready  to  overcome  her. 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  79 

Once  when  she  came  to  me,  she  told  how  that  at  such 
and  such  a  time  she  thought  she  saw  as  much  of  God,  and 
had  as  much  joy  and  pleasure  as  was  possible  in  this  life, 
and  yet  that  afterwards  God  discovered  himself  far  more 
abundantly,  and  she  saw  the  same  things  that  she  had 
seen  before,  yet  more  clearly,  and  in  another  and  far 
more  excellent  and  delightful  manner,  and  was  filled 
with  a  more  exceeding  joy.  She  likewise  gave  me  such 
an  account  of  the  sense  she  once  had  from  day  to  day  of 
the  glory  of  Christ  and  of  God  in  his  various  attributes, 
that  it  seemed  to  me  she  dwelt  for  days  together  in  a  kind 
of  beatific  vision  of  God,  and  seemed  to  have,  as  I  thought, 
as  immediate  an  intercourse  with  him  as  a  child  with  a 
father ;  and  at  the  same  time  she  appeared  most  remote 
from  any  high  thoughts  of  herself  or  of  her  own  suf- 
ficiency, but  was  like  a  little  child,  and  expressed  a  great 
desire  to  be  instructed,  telling  me  that  she  longed  very 
often  to  come  to  me  for  instruction,  and  wanted  to  live  at 
my  house  that  I  might  tell  her  her  duty. 

She  often  expressed  a  sense  of  the  glory  of  God  ap- 
pearing in  the  trees  and  growth  of  the  fields,  and  other 
works  of  God's  hands.  She  told  her  sister  that  lived  near 
the  heart  of  the  town,  that  she  once  thought  it  a  pleasant 
thing  to  live  in  the  middle  of  the  town,  but  now,  said 
she,  I  think  it  much  more  pleasant  to  sit  and  see  the 
wind  blowing  the  trees,  and  to  l^ehold  in  the  country 
what  God  has  made.  She  had  sometimes  the  powerful 
breathings  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  her  soul  while  read- 
ing the  Scripture,  and  would  express  a  sense  that  she 
had  of  the  certain  truth  and  divinity  thereof.  She  some- 
times would  appear  with  a  pleasant  smile  on  her  coun- 
tenance :  and  once  when  her  sister  took  notice  of  it,  and 


80  NARRATIVE    OP 

asked  why  she  smiled,  she  replied,  I  am  brimful  of  a 
sweet  feeling  within  !  She  often  used  to  express  how 
good  and  sweet  it  was  to  lie  low  before  God ;  and  the 
lower,  said  she,  the  better !  and  that  it  was  pleasant  to 
think  of  lying  in  the  dust  all  the  days  of  her  life  mourn- 
ing for  sin.  She  was  wont  to  manifest  a  great  sense  of  her 
own  meanness  and  dependence.  She  often  expressed  an 
exceeding  compassion  and  pitiful  love  which  she  found 
in  her  heart  towards  persons  in  a  christless  condition, 
which  was  sometimes  so  strong,  that  as  she  was  passing 
by  such  in  the  streets,  or  those  that  she  feared  were  such, 
she  would  be  overcome  by  the  sight  of  them.  She  once 
said  that  she  longed  to  have  the  whole  world  saved  ;  she 
wanted,  as  it  were,  to  pull  them  all  to  her — she  could  not 
bear  to  have  one  lost. 

She  had  great  longings  to  die,  that  she  might  be  with 
Christ,  which  increased  till  she  thought  she  did  not  know 
how  to  be  patient  to  wait  till  God's  time  should  come. 
But  once,  when  she  felt  those  longings,  she  thought  with 
herself,  if  I  long  to  die,  why  do  I  go  to  physicians  1 
Whence  she  concluded  that  her  longings  for  death  were 
not  well  regulated.  After  this  she  often  put  it  to  herself 
which  she  should  choose,  whether  to  live  or  die,  to  be 
sick  or  to  be  well,  and  she  found  she  could  not  tell,  till  at 
last  she  found  herself  disposed  to  say  these  words  :  "  I 
am  quite  willing  to  live,  and  quite  willing  to  die ;  quite 
willing  to  be  sick,  and  quite  willing  to  be  well ;  and  quite 
willing  for  any  thing  that  God  will  bring  upon  me."  And 
then,  said  she,  I  felt  myself  perfectly  easy  in  a  full  sub- 
mission to  the  will  of  God.  She  then  lamented  much 
that  she  had  been  so  eager  in  her  longings  for  death,  as 
it  argued  the  want  of  an  entire  resignation  to  God.    She 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  81 

seemed  henceforward  to  continue  in  this  resigned  frame 
till  death. 

After  this  her  illness  increased  upon  her  ;  and  once, 
after  she  had  before  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  night 
in  extreme  pain,  she  awaked  out  of  a  little  sleep  with 
these  words  in  her  heart  and  mouth  :  **  I  am  willing  to 
suffer  for  Christ's  sake  ;  I  am  willing  to  spend  and  be 
spent  for  Christ's  sake  ;  I  am  willing  to  spend  my  life, 
even  my  very  life  for  Christ's  sake  !"  And  though  she 
had  an  extraordinary  resignation  with  respect  to  life  or 
death,  yet  the  thoughts  of  dying  were  exceeding  sweet 
to  her.  At  a  time  when  her  brother  was  reading  in  Job, 
*•'  Though  worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall 
I  see  God,"  she  appeared  with  a  pleasant  smile,  and  be- 
ing inquired  of  about  it,  she  said  it  was  sweet  to  her  to 
think  of  her  being  in  such  circumstances.  At  another 
time  when  her  brother  mentioned  to  her  the  danger  there 
seemed  to  be  that  her  present  illness  might  be  the  occa- 
sion of  her  death,  it  filled  her  with  joy  that  almost  over- 
came her.  At  another  time,  when  she  met  a  company  fol- 
lowing the  body- of  one  departed  to  the  grave,  she  said  it 
was  sweet  to  her  to  think  that  they  would  in  a  little  time 
follow  her  in  like  manner. 

Her  illness,  in  the  latter  part  of  it,  was  seated  much 
in  her  throat,  and  swelling  inward  she  could  swallow  no- 
thing but  what  was  perfectly  liquid,  and  very  little  of  that, 
and  with  great  and  long  strugglings  and  strangling?,  that 
which  she  took  in  flying  out  at  her  nostrils,  till  she  at  last 
could  swallow  nothing  at  all :  she  had  a  raging  appetite 
for  food,  so  that  she  told  her  sister,  when  talking  with  her 
about  her  circumstances,  that  the  worst  bit  she  threw  to 
her  swine  would  be  sweet  to  her ;  but  yet  when  she  saw 


82  NARRATIVE    OP 

that  she  could  not  swallow  it,  she  seemed  to  be  as  per- 
fectly contented  without  it  as  if  she  had  no  appetite  for 
it.  Others  were  greatly  moved  to  see  what  she  suffered, 
and  were  filled  with  admiration  at  her  unexampled  pa- 
tience. At  a  time  when  she  was  striving  in  vain  to  get 
down  a  little  food,  and  was  very  much  spent  with  it,  she 
looked  upon  her  sister  with  a  smile,  saying,  **  O  sister, 
this  is  for  my  good  !"  At  another  time  when  her  sister 
was  speaking  of  what  she  suffered,  she  told  her  that  she 
lived  a  heaven  upon  earth  for  all  that.  She  used  some- 
times to  say  to  her  sister,  under  her  extreme  sufferings, 
"  It  is  good  to  be  so."  Her  sister  once  asked  her  why  she 
said  so.  She  replied,  "  Because  God  would  have  it  so  ; 
j^* .  ,  it  is  best  that  things  should  be  as  God  would  have  them  ; 
•jj  it  looks  best  to  me."  After  her  confinement,  as  they  were 

i''^y        leading  her  from  the  bed  to  the  door,  she  seemed  over- 
j>^  tJ^  v^ome  by  the  sight  of  things  abroad,  as  shov/ing  forth  the 
^^V'^     glory  of  the  Being  that  had  made  them.    As  she  lay  on 
fo'^  '        her  death-bed  she  would  often  say  these  words  :   "God 
is  my  friend!"  And  once,  looking  upon  her  sister  with  a 
smile,  she  said,  *'  O  sister,  how  good  it  is  !     How  sweet 
and  comfortable  it  is  to  consider  and  think  of  heavenly 
things  !"  And  she  used  this  argument  to  persuade  her  sis- 
ter to  be  much  in  such  meditation. 

She  expressed  on  her  death-bed  an  exceeding  longing 

both  for  persons  in  a  natural  state,  that  they  might  be 

c  »/^^       converted,  and  for  the  godly,  that  they  might  see    and 

^r<^*^ftO-'know  more   of  God.    And  when  those   that  looked    on 

^     ^^jLr   themselves   as  in  a  christless  state  came  to  see  her,  she 

'^^'-A^'^^' would  be   greatly  moved  with  compassionate    affection. 

One  in  particular   that  seemed    to  be  in  great    distress 

about  the  state  of  her  soul,  and  had  come  to  see  her  from 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  83 

time  to  time,  she  desii^ed  her  sister  to  persuade  not  to 
come  any  more,  because  the  sight  of  her  so  wrought 
on  her  compassion  that  it  overcame  her  nature.  The 
same  week  that  she  died,  when  she  was  in  distressing 
circumstances  as  to  her  body,  some  of  the  neighbors  that 
came  to  see  her  asked  if  she  was  willing  to  die  1  She 
replied  that  she  was  "  quite  willing  either  to  live  or  die  ; 
she  was  willing  to  be  in  pain  ;  she  was  willing  to  be  so 
always  as  she  was  then,  if  that  was  the  will  of  God.  She 
willed  what  God  willed."  They  asked  her  whether  she 
was  willing  to  die  that  night.  She  answered,  *' Yes,  if  it 
be  God's  will;"  and  seemed  to  speak  all  with  such  a  per- 
fect composure  of  spirit,  and  with  such  a  cheerful  and 
pleasant  countenance,  that  it  filled  them  with  admiration. 
She  was  very  weak  a  considerable  time  before  she 
died,  having  pined  away  with  famine  and  thirst,  so  that 
her  flesh  seemed  to  be  dried  upon  her  bones,  and  there- 
fore could  say  but  little,  and  manifested  her  mind  very 
much  by  signs.  She  said  she  had  matter  enough  to  fill  up 
all  her  time  with  conversation,  if  she  had  but  strength.  A 
few  days  before  her  death  some  asked  her  whether  she 
held  her  integrity  still  ]  Whether  she  was  not  afraid  of 
death  1  She  answered  to  this  purpose,  that  she  had  not 
the  least  degree  of  fear  of  death.  They  asked  her  why 
she  would  be  so  confident  1  She  answered,  "  If  I  should 
say  otherwise,  I  should  speak  contrary  to  what  I  know ; 
there  is  indeed  a  dark  entry  that  looks  something  dark, 
but  on  the  other  side  there  appears  such  a  bright  shining 
lio-ht  that  I  cannot  be  afraid  !"  She  said,  not  long  before 
she  died,  that  she  used  to  be  afraid  how  she  should  grap- 
ple with  death;  but  added,  **God  has  showed  me  that 
he  can  make  it  easy  in  great  pain."    Several  days  before 


84  NARRATIVE    OF 

she  died  she  could  scarcely  say  any  thing  but  yes  and 
no  to  questions  that  were  asked  her,  for  she  seemed  to 
be  dying  for  three  days  together ;  but  seemed  to  con- 
tinue in  an  admirably  sweet  composure  of  soul,  without 
any  interruption,  to  the  last,  and  died  as  a  person  that 
went  to  sleep,  without  any  struggling,  about  noon,  on 
Friday,  June  27,  1735. 

She  had  long  been  infirm,  and  often  had  been  exer- 
cised with  great  pain ;  but  she  died  chiefly  of  famine. 
It  was,  doubtless,  partly  owing  to  her  bodily  weakness 
that  her  nature  was  often  overcome,  and  ready  to  sink 
with  gracious  affection ;  but  yet  the  truth  was,  that  she 
had  more  grace,  and  greater  discoveries  of  God  and 
Christ,  than  the  present  frail  state  did  well  consist  with. 
She  wanted  to  be  where  strong  grace  might  have  more 
liberty,  and  be  without  the  clog  of  a  weak  body ;  there 
she  longed  to  be,  and  there  she  doubtless  now  is.  She 
was  looked  upon  among  us  as  a  very  eminent  instance  of 
Christian  experience ;  but  this  is  a  very  broken  and  im- 
perfect account  I  "have  given  of  her  :  her  eminence  would 
much  more  appear,  if  her  experiences  were  fully  related 
as  she  was  wont  to  express  and  manifest  them  while 
living.  I  once  read  this  account  to  some  of  her  pious 
neighbors  who  were  acquainted  with  her,  who  said  to 
this  purpose,  that  the  picture  fell  much  short  of  the  life, 
and  particularly  that  it  much  failed  of  duly  representing 
her  humility,  and  that  admirable  lowliness  of  heart  that 
at  all  times  appeared  in  her.  But  there  are  (blessed  be 
God  !)  many  living  instances  of  much  the  Vike  nature, 
and  in  some  things  no  less  extraordinary. 


THE  WORK  OF  GOD.  85 

CONVERSION  OF  PHEBE  BARTLET. 

I  now  proceed  to  the  other  instance  that  1  would  give 
an  account  of,  which  is  of  the  little  child  forementioned 
Her  name  is  Phebe  Bartlet,  daughter  of  William 
Bartlet.  I  shall  give  the  account  as  I  took  it  from  the 
mouth  of  her  parents,  whose  veracity  none  that  know 
them  doubt  of. 

She  was  born  in  March,  in  the  year  1731.  About  the 
latter  end  of  April,  or  the  beginning  of  May,  1735,  she 
was  greatly  affected  by  the  talk  of  her  brother,  who  had 
been  hopefully  converted  a  little  before,  at  about  eleven 
years  of  age,  and  then  seriously  talked  to  her  about  the 
great  things  of  religion.  Her  parents  did  not  know  of  it 
at  that  time,  and  v/ere  not  wont,  in  the  counsels  they 
gave  to  their  children,  particularly  to  direct  themselves 
to  her,  by  reason  of  her  being  so  young,  and,  as  they 
supp'osed,  not  capable  of  understanding  ;  but  after  her 
brother  had  talked  to  her,  they  observed  her  very  ear- 
nestly to  listen  to  the  advice  they  gave  to  the  other  chil- 
dren, and  she  was  observed  very  constantly  to  retire,  se- 
veral times  in  a  day,  as  was  concluded  for  secret  prayer, 
and  grew  more  and  more  engaged  in  religion,  and  was 
more  frequently  in  her  closet,  till  at  last  she  was  wont  to 
visit  it  five  or  six  times  in  a  day,  and  was  so  engaged  in 
it  that  nothing  would  at  any  time  divert  her  from  her 
stated  closet  exercises.  Her  mother  often  observed  and 
watched  her,  when  such  things  occurred  as  she  thought 
most  likely  to  divert  her,  either  by  putting  it  out  of  her 
thoughts  or  otherwise  engaging  her  inclinations,  but 
never  could  observe  her  to  fail.  She  mentioned  some 
very  remarkable  instances. 


ob  NARRATIVE    OP 

She  once,  of  her  own  accord,  spoke  of  her  want  of 
success,  in  that  she  could  not  find  God,  or  to  that  pur- 
pose. But  on  Thursday,  the  last  day  of  July,  about  the 
middle  of  the  day,  the  child  being  in  the  closet  where  it 
used  to  retire,  its  mother  heard  it  speaking  aloud,  which 
was  unusual,  and  never  had  been  observed  before  ;  and 
her  voice  seemed  to  be  as  of  one  exceeding  importunate 
and  engaged,  but  her  mother  could  distinctly  hear  only 
these  words  (spoken  in  her  childish  manner,  but  which 
seemed  to  be  spoken  with  extraordinary  earnestness  and 
out  of  distress  of  soul,)  "  Pray,  blessed  Lord,  give  me 
salvation  !  I  pray,  beg,  pardon  all  my  sins  !"  When  the 
child  had  done  prayer  she  came  out  of  the  closet,  and 
came  and  sat  down  by  her  mother,  and  cried  out  aloud. 
Her  mother  very  earnestly  asked  her  several  times  what 
the  matter  was  before  she  would  make  any  answer,  but 
she  continued  crying,  and  wreathing  her  body  to  and  fro 
like  one  in  anguish  of  spirit.  Her  mother  then  asked  her 
whether  she  was  afraid  that  God  would  not  give  her  sal- 
vation. She  answered,  "  Yes,  I  am  afraid  I  shall  go  to'^ 
hell !"  Her  mother  then  endeavored  to  quiet  her,  and 
told  her  she  would  not  have  her  cry ;  she  must  be  a  good 
girl,  and  pray  every  day,  and  she  hoped  God  would  give 
her  salvation.  But  this  did  not  quiet  her  at  all — but  she 
continued  thus  earnestly  crying  for  some  time,  till  at 
length  she  suddenly  ceased  crying  and  began  to  smile, 
and  presently  said,  with  a  smiling  countenance,  "  Mother, 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  come  to  me  !"  Her  mother 
was  surprised  at  the  sudden  alteration,  and  at  the  speech, 
and  knew  not  what  to  make  of  it,  but  at  first  said  nothing 
to  her.  The  child  presently  spoke  again,  and  said, 
"  There  is  another  come  to  me,  and  there  is  another— 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  87 

there  is  three  ;"  and  being  asked  what  she  meant,  she 
answered,  "  One  is,  iliy  will  he  done,  and  there  is  another, 
enjoy  him  for  ever  ;'^  by  which  it  seems  that  when  the 
child  said  there  is  three  come  to  me,  she  meant  three 
passages  of  her  catechism  that  came  to  her  mind. 

After  the  child  had  said  this  she  retired  again  into  her 
closet,  and  her  mother  went  over  to  her  brother's,  who 
was  next  neighbor;  and  when  she  came  back,  the  child 
being  come  out  of  the  closet,  met  her  mother  with  this 
cheerful  speech,  "  I  can  find  God  now  !"  referring  to 
what  she  had  before  complained  of  that  she  could  not 
find  God.  Then  the  child  spoke  again,  and  said,  "  I  love 
God!"  Her  mother  asked  her  how  well  she  loved  God, 
whether  she  loved  God  better  than  her  father  and  mother: 
she  said  "  Yes."  Then  she  asked  her  whether  she  loved 
God  better  than  her  little  sister  Rachel :  she  answered, 
*'  Yes,  better  than  any  thing  !"  Then  her  eldest  sister, 
referring  to  her  saying  she  could  find  God  now,  asked 
her  where  she  could  find  God  ;  she  answered,  **  In  hea- 
ven." Why,  said  she,  have  you  been  in  heaven  1  *'  No," 
said  the  child.  By  this  it  seems  not  to  have  been  any 
imagination  of  any  thing  seen  with  bodily  eyes  that  she 
called  God,  when  she  said  I  can  find  God  now.  Her 
mother  asked  her  whether  she  was  afraid  of  going  to 
hell,  and  if  it  was  that  that  had  made  her  cry.  She  an- 
swered, "Yes,  I  was  ;  but  now  I  shall  not."  Her  mother 
asked  her  whether  she  thought  that  God  had  given  her 
salvation :  she  answered,  "  Yes."  Her  mother  asked 
her  when  :  she  answered,  "  To-day."  She  appeared  all 
that  afternoon  exceeding  cheerful  and  joyful.  One  of  the 
neighbors  asked  her  how  she  felt  herself?  She  answer- 
ed, "  I  feel  better  than  I  did."     The  neighbor  asked  her 


S8  NARRATIVE   OP 

what  made  her  feel  better  ;  she  answered,  "  God  makes 
me."  That  evening  as  she  lay  in  bed,  she  called  one  of 
her  little  cousins  to  her  that  was  present  in  the  room,  as 
having  something  to  say  to  him ;  and  when  he  came  she 
told  him  that  heaven  was  better  than  earth.  The  next 
day  being  Friday,  her  mother  in  examining  her  in  her 
catechism,  asked  her  what  God  made  her  for ;  she  an- 
swered, "  To  serve  him  ;"  and  added,  *'  every  body  should 
serve  God  and  get  an  interest  in  Christ." 

The  same  day  the  elder  children  when  they  came 
home  from  school  seemed  much  affected  with  the  extra- 
ordinary change  that  seemed  to  be  made  in  Phebe  ;  and 
her  sister  Abigail  standing  by,  her  mother  took  occasion 
to  counsel  her  now  to  improve  her  time  to  prepare  for 
another  world ;  on  which  Phebe  burst  into  tears,  and 
cried  out  "Poor  Nabby!"  Her  mother  told  her  she 
would  not  have  her  cry,  she  hoped  that  God  would  give 
Nabby  salvation  :  but  that  did  not  quiet  her,  but  she  con- 
tinued earnestly  crying  for  some  time ;  and  when  she 
had  in  a  measure  ceased,  her  sister  Eunice  being  by  her, 
she  burst  out  again,  and  cried  **  Poor  Eunice  !"  and  cried 
exceedingly ;  and  when  she  had  almost  done  she  went 
into  another  room  and  there  looked  upon  her  sister  Na- 
omi, and  burst  out  again  crying  "  Poor  Amy  !"  Her 
mother  was  greatly  affected  at  such  a  behavior  in  the 
child,  and  knew  not  what  to  say  to  her.  One  of  the 
neighbors  coming  in  a  little  after  asked  her  what  she  had 
cried  for.  She  seemed,  at  first,  backward  to  tell  the  rea- 
son :  her  mother  told  her  she  might  tell  that  person  ; 
upon  which  she  said  she  "  cried  because  she  was  afraid 
they  would  go  to  hell." 

At  night  a  certain  minister  that  was  occasionally  in  the 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  89 

town  was  at  the  house,  and  talked  considerably  with  her 
of  the  things  of  religion  ;  and  after  he  was  gone,  she  sat 
leaning  on  the  table,  with  tears  falling  from  her  eyes ; 
and  being  asked  what  made  her  cry,  she  said  it  was 
"  thinking  about  God."  The  next  day  being  Saturday, 
she  seemed  a  great  part  of  the  day  to  be  in  a  very  affec- 
tionate frame,  had  four  turns  of  crying,  and  seemed  to 
endeavor  to  curb  herself  and  hide  her  tears,  and  was 
very  backward  to  talk  of  the  occasion  of  it.  On  the  Sab- 
bath she  was  asked  whether  she  believed  in  God  ;  she 
answered  yes  ;  and  being  told  that  Christ  was  the  Son  of 
God,  she  made  ready  answer,  and  said  I  know  it. 

From  this  time  there  has  appeared  a  very  remarkable 
abiding  change  in  the  child  :  she  has  been  very  strict 
upon  the  Sabbath,  and  seems  to  long  for  the  Sabbath-day 
before  it  comes,  and  will  often  in  the  week-time  be  in- 
quiring how  long  it  is  to  the  Sabbath-day,  and  must  have 
the  days  particularly  counted  over  that  are  between  be- 
fore she  will  be  contented.  And  she  seems  to  love  God's 
house,  and  is  very  eager  to  go  thither.  Her  mother  once 
asked  her  why  she  had  such  a  mind  to  go  ]  Whether  it 
was  not  to  see  fine  folks  1  She  said  no,  it  was  to  hear  Mr. 
Edwards  preach.  When  she  is  in  the  place  of  worship. 
she  is  very  far  from  spending  her  time  there  as  children 
at  her  age  usually  do,  but  appears  with  an  attention  that 
is  very  extraordinary  for  such  a  child.  She  also  appears 
very  desirous  at  all  opportunities  to  go  to  private  reli- 
gious meetings,  and  is  very  still  and  attentive  at  home  in 
prayer  time,  and  has  appeared  affected  in  time  of  family 
prayer.  She  seems  to  delight  much  in  hearing  religious 
conversation.  When  I  once  was  there  with  some  others 
that  were  strangers,  and  talked  to  her  something  of  reli- 


90  NARRATIVE    OF 

gion,  she  seemed  more  than  ordinarily  attentive ;  and 
when  w^e  were  gone,  she  looked  out  very  wistfully  after 
us,  and  said,  *' I  wish  they  would  come  again!"  Her 
mother  asked  her  why  :  says  she,  "  I  love  to  hear  them 
talk  !" 

She  seems  to  have  very  much  of  the  fear  of  God  before 
her  eyes,  and  an  extraordinary  dread  of  sin  against  him  ; 
of  which  her  mother  mentioned  the  following  remarkable 
instance.  Some  time  in  August,  the  last  year,  she  went 
with  some  larger  children  to  get  some  plums  in  a  neigh- 
bor's lot,  knowing  nothing  of  any  harm  in  what  she  did ; 
but  when  she  brought  some  of  the  plums  into  the  house 
her  mother  mildly  reproved  her,  and  told  her  that  she 
must  not  get  plums  without  leave,  because  it  was  sin ; 
God  had  commanded  her  not  to  steal.  The  child  seemed 
greatly  surprised,  and  burst  into  tears,  and  cried  out — "  I 
will  not  have  these  plums  !"  And  turning  to  her  sister 
Eunice,  very  earnestly  said  to  her — "Why  did  you  ask 
me  to  go  to  that  plum-tree  ]  I  should  not  have  gone  it 
you  had  not  asked  me."  The  other  children  did  not 
seem  to  be  much  affected  or  concerned ;  but  there  was 
no  pacifying  Phebe.  Her  mother  told  her  she  might  go 
and  ask  leave,  and  then  it  would  not  be  sin  for  her  to 
eat  them,  and  sent  one  of  the  children  to  that  end ;  and 
when  she  returned,  her  mother  told  her  that  as  the  owner 
had  given  leave,  now  she  might  eat  them,  and  it  would 
not  be  stealing.  This  stilled  her  a  little  while,  but  pre- 
sently she  broke  out  again  into  an  exceeding  fit  of  crying. 
Her  mother  asked  her  what  made  her  cry  again  ]  why 
she  cried  now,  since  they  had  asked  leave  ?  what  it  was 
that  troubled  her  now  1  and  asked  her  several  times 
very  earnestly,  before  she  made  any  answer ;  but  at  last 


THE    WORK    OF    ODD.  91 

said  it  was  because — "  because  it  was  sin."  She  con- 
tinued a  considerable  time  crying,  and  said  she  would 
not  go  again  if  Eunice  asked  her  a  hundred  times  ;  and 
she  retained  her  aversion  to  that  fruit  for  a  considerable 
time,  under  the  remembrance  of  her  former  sin. 

She,  at  some  times,  appeared  greatly  affected  and  de- 
lighted with  texts  of  Scripture  that  came  to  her  mind. 
Particularly  about  the  beginning  of  November,  the  last 
year,  that  text  came  to  her  mind,  Rev.  3  :  20,  Behold  I 
stand  at  the  door  and  knock  :  if  any  man  hear  my  xoice^ 
and  open  the  door,  I  tvill  come  in,  and  sup  with  him  and  he 
with  me.  She  spoke  of  it  to  those  of  the  family,  with  a 
great  appearance  of  joy,  a  smiling  countenance,  and  ele- 
vation of  voice ;  and  afterwards  she  went  into  another 
room,  where  her  mother  overheard  her  talking  very 
earnestly  to  the  children  about  it,  and  particularly  heard 
her  say  to  them,  three  or  four  times  over,  with  an  air  of 
exceeding  joy  and  admiration — "  Why  it  is  to  sup  with 
God."  At  some  time  about  the  middle  of  winter,  very 
late  in  the  night,  when  all  were  in  bed,  her  mother  per- 
ceived that  she  was  awake,  and  heard  her  as  though  she 
was  weeping.  She  called  to  her,  and  asked  what  was  the 
matter.  She  answered  with  a  low  voice,  so  that  her  mo- 
ther could  not  hear  what  she  said ;  but  thinking  it  might 
be  occasioned  by  some  spiritual  affection,  she  said  no  more 
to  her  ;  but  perceived  her  to  lie  awake,  and  to  continue  in 
the  same  frame  for  a  considerable  time.  The  next  morn- 
ing she  asked  her  whether  she  did  not  cry  the  last  night ; 
the  child  answered  *'  Yes,  I  did  cry  a  little,  for  I  was  think- 
ing about  God  and  Christ,  and  they  loved  me."  Her  mo- 
ther asked  her,  whether  to  think  of  God  and  Christ's  lov- 
ing her  made  her  cry  :  she  answered  ''Yes,  it  does  some- 
times." 


92  NARRATIVE    OP 

She  has  often  manifested  a  great  concern  for  the  good 
of  other  souls,  and  has  been  wont  many  times  affection- 
ately to  counsel  the  other  children.  Once  about  the  lat- 
ter end  of  September,  the  last  year,  when  she  and  some 
others  of  the  children  were  in  a  room  by  themselves 
husking  Indian  corn,  the  child,  after  a  while,  came  out 
and  sat  by  the  fire.  Her  mother  took  notice  that  she  ap- 
peared with  a  more  than  ordinary  serious  and  pensive 
countenance,  but  at  last  she  broke  silence  and  said,  '*  I 
have  been  talking  to  Nabby  and  Eunice."  Her  mother 
asked  her  what  she  had  said  to  them.  Why,  said  she,  '*  I 
told  them  they  must  pray,  and  prepare  to  die ;  that  they 
had  but  a  little  while  to  live  in  this  world,  and  they  must 
be  always  ready."  AVhen  Nabby  came  out  her  mother 
asked  her  whether  she  had  said  that  to  them.  Yes,  said 
she,  she  said  that  and  a  great  deal  more.  At  other  times 
the  child  took  her  opportunities  to  talk  to  the  other  chil- 
dren about  the  great  concern  of  their  souls ;  sometimes 
so  as  much  to  affect  them,  even  to  tears.  She  was  once 
exceeding  importunate  with  her  mother  to  go  with  her 
sister  Naomi  to  pray  :  her  mother  endeavored  to  put  her 
off,  but  she  pulled  her  by  the  sleeve  and  seemed  as  if  she 
would  by  no  means  be  denied.  At  last  her  mother  told 
her  that  Amy  must  go  and  pray  herself;  but,  said  the 
child,  she  will  not  go,  and  persisted  earnestly  to  beg  of 
her  mother  to  go  with  her. 

She  has  discovered  an  uncommon  degree  of  a  spirit  of 
charity,  particularly  on  the  following  occasion :  A  poor 
man  that  lives  in  the  woods  had  lost  a  cow  that  the 
family  much  depended  on,  and  being  at  the  house,  he  was 
relating  his  misfortune  and  telling  of  the  straits  and  diffi- 
culties they  were  reduced  to  by  it.   She  took  much  notice 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  93 

of  it,  and  it  wrought  exceedingly  on  her  compassion  ;  and 
after  she  had  attentively  heard  him  awhile,  she  went 
away  to  her  father,  who  was  in  the  shop,  and  entreated 
him  to  give  that  man  a  cow ;  and  told  him  that  the  poor 
man  had  no  cow  !  that  the  hunters  or  something  else 
had  killed  his  cow  !  and  entreated  him  to  give  him  one 
of  theirs.  Her  father  told  her  that  they  could  not  spare  one. 
Then  she  entreated  him  to  let  him  and  his  family  come 
and  live  at  his  house ;  and  had  much  talk  of  the  same 
nature,  whereby  she  manifested  compassion  to  the  poor. 
She  has  manifested  great  love  to  her  minister;  parti- 
cularly when  I  returned  from  my  long  journey  for  my 
health  last  fall :  when  she  heard  of  it  she  appeared  very 
joyful  at  the  news,  and  told  the  children  of  it  with  an 
elevated  voice,  as  the  most  joyful  tidings,  repeating  it 
over  and  over,  "  Mr.  Edwards  is  come  home  !  Mr.  Ed- 
wards is  come  home  !"  She  still  continues  very  constant 
in  secret  prayer,  so  far  as  can  be  observed  (for  she  seems 
to  have  no  desire  that  others  should  observe  her  when 
she  retires,  but  seems  to  be  a  child  of  a  reserved  temper,) 
and  every  night  before  she  goes  to  bed  will  say  her  cate- 
chism, and  will  by  no  means  miss  of  it :  she  never  forgot 
it  but  once,  and  then  after  she  was  abed  thought  of  it,  and 
cried  out  in  tears,  "  I  have  not  said  my  catechism  !"  and 
would  not  be  quieted  till  her  mother  asked  her  the  cate- 
chism as  she  lay  in  bed.  She  sometimes  appears  to  be  in 
doubt  about  the  condition  of  her  soul,  and  when  asked 
whether  she  thinks  that  she  is  prepared  for  death,  speaks 
something  doubtfully  about  it :  at  other  times  seems  to 
have  no  doubt,  but  when  asked,  replied  yes,  without 
hesitation.* 


*  This  child  adorned  religion  in  future  life.  She  married  Mr.  Noah  Par- 
sons, and  died  triumphantly  at  the  age  of  about  70. 


94  NARRATIVE    OF 


GRADUAL    WITHDRAWING    OF    THE    SPIRIT. 

In  the  former  part  of  this  gi'eat  work  of  God  amongst 
us,  till  it  got  to  its  height,  we  seemed  to  be  wonderfully- 
smiled  upon  and  blessed  in  all  respects.  Satan  (as  has 
been  already  observed)  seemed  to  be  unusually  restrain- 
ed ;  persons  that  before  had  been  involved  in  melancholy 
seemed  to  be  as  it  were  waked  up  out  of  it,  and  those 
that  had  been  entangled  with  extraordinary  temptations 
seemed  wonderfully  to  be  set  at  liberty,  and  not  only  so, 
but  it  was  the  most  remarkable  time  of  health  that  ever  I 
knew  since  I  have  been  in  the  town.  We  ordinarily 
have  several  bills  put  up  every  Sabbath  for  persons  that 
are  sick,  but  now  we  had  not  so  much  as  one  for  many 
Sabbaths  together.  But  after  this  it  seemed  to  be  other- 
wise, when  this  work  of  God  appeared  to  be  at  its  great- 
est height.  A  poor  weak  man  that  belongs  to  the  town, 
being  in  great  spiritual  trouble,  was  hurried  with  violent 
temptations  to  cut  his  own  throat,  and  made  an  attempt, 
but  did  not  do  it  effectually.  He  after  this  continued  a 
considerable  time  exceedingly  overwhelmed  with  melan- 
choly, but  has  now,  of  a  long  time,  been  very  greatly  de- 
livered by  the  light  of  God's  countenance  lifted  up  upon 
him,  and  has  expressed  a  great  sense  of  his  sin  in  so  far 
yielding  to  temptation,  and  there  are  in  him  all  hopeful 
evidences  of  his  having  been  made  a  subject  of  saving 
mercy. 

In  the  latter  part  of  May  it  began  to  be  very  sensible 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  gradually  withdrawing  from 
us,  and  after  this  time  Satan  seemed  to  be  more  let  loose, 
and  raged  in  a  dreadful  manner.  The  first  instance 
wherein  it  appeared,  was  a  person's  putting  an  end  to 


THE    WORK    OP    GOD.  95 

his  own  life  by  cutting  his  throat.  He  was  a  gentleman 
of  more  than  common  understanding,  of  strict  morals,  re- 
ligious in  his  behavior,  and  a  useful,  honorable  person 
in  the  town ;  but  was  of  a  family  that  are  exceedingly 
prone  to  the  disease  of  melancholy,  and  his  mother  was 
killed  with  it.  He  had,  from  the  beginning  of  this  ex- 
traordinary time,  been  exceedingly  concerned  about  the 
state  of  his  soul,  and  there  were  some  things  in  his  ex- 
perience that  appeared  very  hopeful,  but  he  durst  enter- 
tain no  hope  concerning  his  own  good  estate.  Towards 
the  latter  part  of  his  time  he  grew  much  discouraged, 
and  melancholy  grew  amain  upon  him,  till  he  was  wholly 
overpowered  by  it,  and  was,  in  great  measure,  past  a 
capacity  of  receiving  advice,  or  being  reasoned  with  to 
any  purpose  :  the  devil  took  the  advantage,  and  drove  him 
into  despairing  thoughts.  He  was  kept  awake  at  nights 
meditating  terror,  so  that  he  had  scarce  any  sleep  at  all 
for  a  long  time  together.  And  it  was  observable  at  last 
that  he  was  scarcely  capable  of  managing  his  ordinary 
business,  and  was  judged  delirious  by  the  coroner's  in- 
quest. The  news  of  this  extraordinarily  affected  the 
minds  of  people  here,  and  struck  them  as  it  were  with 
astonishment.  After  this,  multitudes  in  this  and  other 
towns  seemed  to  have  it  strongly  suggested  to  them,  and 
pressed  upon  them,  to  do  as  this  person  had  done.  And 
many  that  seemed  to  be  under  no  melancholy,  some 
pious  persons  that  had  no  special  darkness  or  doubts 
about  the  goodness  of  their  state,  nor  were  under  any 
special  trouble  or  concern  of  mind  about  any  thing  spirit- 
ual or  temporal,  yet  had  it  urged  upon  them,  as  if  some- 
body had  spoken  to  them,  Cut  your  own  throat,  now  is 
a  good  opportunity.    Now !    Now !    So  that  they  were 


96  NARRATIVE     OP 

obliged  to  fight  with  all  their  might  to  resist  it,  and  yet 
no  reason  was  suggested  to  them  why  they  should  do  it. 

About  the  same  time  there  were  two  remarkable  in- 
stances of  persons  led  away  with  strange  enthusiastic 
delusions  ;  one  at  Suffield  and  another  at  South  Hadley : 
that  which  has  made  the  greatest  noise  in  the  country 
was  of  the  man  at  South  Hadley,  whose  delusion  was, 
that  he  thought  himself  divinely  instructed  to  direct  a 
poor  man  in  melancholy  and  despairing  circumstances, 
to  say  certain  words  in  prayer  to  God,  as  recorded  in 
Psalm  116  :  4,  for  his  own  relief.  The  man  is  esteemed 
a  pious  man  :  I  have,  since  this  error  of  his,  had  a  parti- 
cular acquaintance  with  him,  and  I  believe  none  would 
question  his  piety  that  had  had  such  an  acquaintance. 
He  gave  me  a  particular  account  of  the  manner  how  he 
was  deluded,  which  is  too  long  to  be  here  inserted.  But 
in  short,  he  was  exceedingly  rejoiced  and  elevated  with 
this  extraordinary  work,  so  carried  on  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  and  w^as  possessed  with  an  opinion  that  it  was 
the  beginning  of  the  glorious  times  of  the  church  spoken 
of  in  Scripture  :  and  had  read  it  as  the  opinion  of  some 
divines,  that  there  would  be  many  in  these  times  that 
should  be  endued  with  extraordinary  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  had  embraced  the  notion  ;  though  he  had  at 
first  no  apprehensions  that  any  besides  ministers  would 
have  such  gifts.  But  he  since  exceedingly  laments  the 
dishonor  he  has  done  to  God,  and  the  wound  he  has 
given  religion  in  it,  and  has  lain  low  before  God  and 
man  for  it. 

After  these  things  the  instances  of  conversion  were 
rare  here  in  comparison  of  what  they  had  before  been, 
(though  that  remarkable  instance  of  the  little  child  was 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  97 

after  this  ;)  and  the  Spirit  of  God  after  that  time  appear- 
ed very  sensibly  withdrawing  from  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
ty (though  we  have  heard  of  its  going  on  in  some  places 
of  Connecticut,  and  that  it  continues  to  be  carried  on 
even  to  this  day.)  But  religion  remained  here,  and,  I  be- 
lieve in  some  other  places,  the  main  subject  of  conversa- 
tion for  several  months  after  this.  And  there  were  some 
turns,  wherein  God's  work  seemed  in  a  degree  to  revive, 
and  we  were  ready  to  hope  that  all  was  going  to  be  re- 
newed again ;  yet  in  the  main  there  was  a  gradual  de- 
cline of  that  general,  engaged,  lively  spirit  in  religion 
which  had  been  before.  Several  things  have  happened 
since  that  which  have  diverted  people's  minds  and  turned 
conversation  more  to  other  affairs,  as  particularly  his 
Excellency  the  Governor's  coming  up,  and  the  Commit- 
tee of  the  General  Court,  an  the  treaty  with  the  Indians  ; 
and  afterwards  the  Springfield  controversy;  and  since 
that,  our  people  in  this  town  have  been  engaged  in  the 
building  of  a  new  meeting-house  ;  and  some  other  occur- 
rences might  be  mentioned  that  have  seemed  to  have 
this  effect. 

But  as  to  those  that  have  been  thought  to  be  converted 
among  us  in  this  time,  they  generally  seem  to  be  persons 
that  have  had  an  abiding  change  wrought  in  them.  I 
have  had  particular  acquaintance  with  many  of  them 
since,  and  they  generally  appear  to'be  persons  that  have 
a  new  sense  of  things,  new  apprehensions  and  views  of 
God,  of  the  divine  attributes,  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
great  things  of  the  Gospel :  they  have  a  new  sense  of  ' 
the  truth  of  them,  and  they  affect  them  in  a  new  man- 
ner ;  though  it  is  very  far  from  being  always  alike  with 
them,  neither  can  they  revive  a  sense   of  things  when   . 

Hevival  of  Rcl.  5 


98  NARRATIVE    OF 

tliey  please.  Their  hearts  are  often  touched,  and  some- 
times filled  with  new  sweetness  and  delight ;  there 
seems  to  be  an  inward  ardor  and  burning  of  heart  that 
they  express,  such  as  they  never  experienced  before ; 
sometimes,  perhaps,  occasioned  only  by  the  mention  of 
Christ's  name,  or  some  one  of  the  divine  perfections  : 
there  are  new  appetites  and  a  new  kind  of  breathings 
and  pantings  of  heart,  and  groanings  that  cannot  be  utter- 
ed. There  is  a  new  kind  of  inward  labor  and  struggle  of 
soul  towards  heaven  and  holiness. 

Some  that  before  were  very  rough  in  their  temper 
and  manners,  seem  to  be  remarkably  softened  and  sweet- 
ened. And  some  have  had  their  souls  exceedingly  filled 
and  overwhelmed  with  light,  love,  and  comfort,  long 
since  the  work  of  God  has  ceased  to  be  so  remarkably 
carried  on  in  a  general  way ;  and  some  have  had  much 
greater  experiences  of  this  nature  than  they  had  before. 
And  there  is  still  a  great  deal  of  religious  conversation 
continued  in  the  town,  among  young  and  old;  a  reli- 
gious disposition  appears  to  be  still  maintained  amongst 
our  people,  by  their  upholding  frequent  private  religious 
meetings;  and  all  classes  are  generally  worshipping  God 
at  such  meetings,  on  Sabbath  nights,  and  in  the  evening 
after  our  public  lecture.  Many  children  in  the  town  do 
still  keep  up  such  meetings  among  themselves.  I  know 
of  no  one  young  person  in  the  town  that  has  returne.djo 
former  ways  of  looseness  and  extravagance  in  any  re- 
spect, but  w^e  still  remain  a  reformed  people,  and  God 
has  evidently  made  us  a  new  people. 

I  cannot  say  there  has  been  no  instance  of  any  one 
person  that  has  so  deported  himself  that  others  should 
justly  be  stumbled  concerning  his  profession;  nor  am  I 


THE    WORK    OF    GOD.  99 

SO  vain  as  to  imagine  that  we  have  not  been  mistaken 
concerning  any  that  we  have  entertained  a  good  opinion 
of,  or  that  there  are  none  that  pass  amongst  us  for  sheep 
that  are  indeed  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,  who  probably 
may,  some  time  or  other,  discover  themselves  by  their 
fruits.  We  are  not  so  pure  but  that  we  have  great  cause 
to  be  humbled  and  ashamed  that  we  are  so  impure ;  nor 
so  religious,  but  that  those  that  watch  for  our  halting  may 
see  things  in  us  whence  they  may  take  occasion  to  re- 
proach us  and  religion  ;  but  in  the  main  there  has  been 
a  great  and  marvellous  work  of  conversion  and  sanctifica- 
tion  among  the  people  here,  and  they  have  paid  all  due 
respect  to  those  who  have  been  blest  of  God  to  be  the 
instruments  of  it.  Both  old  and  young  have  shown  a  for- 
wardness to  hearken  not  only  to  my  counsels,  but  even 
to  my  reproofs  from  the  pulpit. 

A  great  part  of  the  country  have  not  received  the  most 
favorable  impressions  of  this  work,  and  to  this  day  many 
retain  a  jealousy  concerning  it  and  prejudice  against  it.  I 
have  reason  to  think  that  the  meanness  and  weakness  of 
the  instrument  that  has  been  made  use  of  in  this  town 
has  prejudiced  many  against  it ;  it  does  not  appear  to 
me  strange  that  it  should  be  so  :  but  yet  this  circum- 
stance of  this  great  work  of  God  is  analogous  to  other 
circumstances  of  it.  God  has  so  ordered  the  manner  of 
the  work  in  many  respects,  as  very  signally  and  remarka- 
bly to  show  it  to  be  his  own  peculiar  and  immediate 
work,  and  to  secure  the  glory  of  it  wholly  to  his  own 
almighty  power  and  sovereign  grace.  And  whatever  the 
circumstances  and  means  have  been,  and  thouQ:h  we  are 
so  unworthy,  yet  so  hath  it  pleased  God  to  work  !  And 
we  are  evidently  a  people  blessed  of  the  Lord!     And 


100  NARRATIVE    OF 

here,  in  this  corner  of  the  world,  God  dwells  and  ma- 
nifests his  glory. 

Thus,  Rev.  Sir,  I  have  given  a  large  and  particular  ac- 
count of  this  remarkable  work,  and  yet  considering  hov/ 
manifold  God's  works  have  been  amongst  us,  that  are 
worthy  to  be  written,  it  is  but  a  very  brief  one.  I  should 
have  sent  it  much  sooner,  had  I  not  been  greatly  hinder- 
ed by  illness  in  my  family  and  also  in  myself.  It  is  proba- 
bly much  larger  than  you  expected,  and  it  may  be  than 
you  would  have  chosen.  I  thought  that  the  extraordinari- 
ness  of  the  thing  and  the  innumerable  misrepresentations 
which  have  gone  abroad  of  it,  many  of  which  have  doubt- 
less reached  your  ears,  made  it  necessary  that  I  should  be 
particular.  But  I  would  leave  it  entirely  with  your  wis- 
dom to  make  what  use  of  it  you  think  best,  to  send  a  part 
of  it  to  England,  or  all,  or  none  if  you  think  it  not  worthy: 
or  otherwise  dispose  of  it  as  you  may  think  most  for  God's 
glory  and  the  interest  of  religion.  If  you  are  pleased  to 
send  any  thing  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Guyse,  I  should  be  glad  to 
have  it  signified  to  him  as  my  humble  desire  that  since  he 
and  the  congregation  to  which  he  preached  have  been 
pleased  to  take  so  much  notice  of  us  as  they  have,  that 
they  would  also  think  of  us  at  the  Throne  of  Grace,  and 
seek  there  for  us  that  God  would  not  forsake  us,  but  en- 
able us  to  bring  forth  fruit  answerable  to  our  profession 
and  our  mercies,  and  that  our  light  may  so  shine  before 
men,  that  others,  seeing  our  good  works,  may  glorify  our 
Father  which  is  in  heaven. 

When  first  I  heard  of  the  notice  the  Rev.  Dr.  Watts 
and  Dr.  Guyse  took  of  God's  mercies  to  us,  I  took  occa- 
sion to  inform  our  congregation  of  it  in  a  discourse  from 


THE    WORK    OP  GOD.  101 

these  words  :  A  city  that  is  set  upon  a  hill  ca7inot  he  hid. 
And  having  since  seen  a  particular  account  of  the  notice 
which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Guyse,  and  the  congregation  he 
preached  to,  took  of  it  in  a  letter  you  wrote  to  my  ho- 
nored uncle  Williams,  I  read  that  part  of  your  letter  to 
the  congregation,  and  labored  as  much  as  in  me  lay  to 
enforce  their  duty  from  it.  The  congregation  were  very 
sensibly  moved  and  affected  at  both  times. 

I  humbly  request  of  you,  Rev.  Sir,  your  prayers  for 
this  county,  in  its  present  melancholy  circumstances  into 
which  it  is  brought  by  the  Springfield  contention,  which 
doubtless,  above  all  things  that  have  happened,  has  tend- 
ed to  put  a  stop  to  the  glorious  work  here,  and  to  preju- 
dice this  county  against  it,  and  hinder  the  propagation  of 
it.  I  also  ask  your  prayers  for  this  town,  and  would  par- 
ticularly beg  an  interest  in  them  for  him  who  is, 
Honored  Sir,  with  humble  respect. 

Your  obedient  son  and  servant, 

JONATHAN   EDWARDS. 

Northampton,  Nov.  6,  1736. 


END    OF    THE    NARRATIVE. 


THOUGHTS 


REYIVAL   OF    RELIGION 


NEW  ENGLAND,  A.D.  1740 


THE   WAY   IN   WHICH    IT   OUGHT  TO   BE  ACKNOWLEDGED 
AND  PROMOTED. 


'Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight  in  tlie  desert 
iLigh-way  for  our  God." — Isaiah  40  :  3 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIETY, 

150  NASSAU-STREET,  NEW-YORK. 


AD  VERTISEMEN  T 


INSERTED    IN    THE    WORCESTEK    EDITION    OF    PRES.    EDWAKDs'    WORKS. 


The  occasion  of  the  following  treatise  will  be  seen,  in  part,  in  the  pre- 
ceding narrative.  The  gracious  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  which 
Northampton  was  so  abundantly  enriched,  and  which  spread  through  many 
towns  in  its  vicinity,  were  soon  followed  with  a  very  extensive  revival  over 
the  land.  An  extraordinary  zeal  was  excited  in  many  gospel  ministers. 
Itinerants  travelled  the  country  and  preached  daily.  They  addressed  their 
crowded  audiences  not  in  the  dull  monotony  of  a  mere  moral  lecture,  but 
in  the  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  with  power.  Their  indefatigable 
labors  were  crowned  with  the  most  desirable  success.  Zion  put  on  her 
robes  of  salvation.  Converts  to  Jesus  were  multiplied  as  the  drops  of  the 
morning  dew.  Religion  became  almost  the  only  subject  of  concern.  Many 
indulged  the  hope  that  the  millennial  glory  was  commencing.  This  glorious 
work  had  its  opposers.  Advantage  was  taken  of  the  errors  of  some  of  its 
most  zealous  promoters  to  cry  it  down  and  render  it  altogether  suspicious. 
Mr.  Edwards'  design  was  to  vindicate  it  as  undoubtedly  a  work  of  God, 
and  among  the  most  admirable  of  his  triumphs  over  the  hearts  of  his  ene- 
mies ;  to  correct  errors  which  attended  it,  and  to  excite  augmented  efforts 
for  its  increase. 

The  scene  which  he  describes  is  past.  Let  it  live  however  in  our  memo- 
ries. Let  it  excite  our  fervent  gratitude,  and  call  forth  the  devout  aspira- 
tions of  our  souls  for  the  spread  of  the  victories  of  our  glorious  King  in 
these  days.  Let  the  pertinent  and  instructive  sentiments  wrought  ihto  the 
treatise,  the  most  of  which  are  adapted  to  every  condition  in  which  the 
church  and  the  individual  believer  can  be  placed,  take  deep  hold  of  our 
hearts  and  be  carried  out  in  their  proper  effects  in  our  lives. 

This  work  had  a  second  edition  in  Scotland  soon  after  it  was  first  pub- 
lished in  this  country. 


THE  AUTHOR'S  PREFACE. 


In  tlie  ensuing  treatise,  I  condemn  ministers  assuming,  or  tak- 
ing too  much  upon  them,  and  appearing  as  though  they  supposed 
that  they  were  the  persons  to  whom  it  especially  belonged  to 
dictate,  direct,  and  detennine ;  but  perhaps  shall  be  thought  to 
be  veiy  guilty  of  it  myself:  and  some,  when  they  read  this  trea- 
tise, may  be  ready  to  say  that  I  condemn  this  in  others,  that  I 
may  have  the  monopoly  of  it.  I  confess  that  I  have  taken  great 
liberty  freely  to  express  my  thoughts  concerning  almost  every 
thing  appertaining  to  the  wonderful  work  of  God  that  has  of 
late  been  carried  on  in  the  land,  and  to  declare  what  has  appear- 
ed to  me  to  be  the  mind  of  God  concerning  the  duty  and  obhga- 
tions  of  all  classes  of  persons,  and  even  those  that  are  my  supe- 
riors and  fathers,  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  ci\dl  rulers.  But 
yet  I  hope  the  liberty  I  have  taken  is  not  greater  than  can  be 
justified.  In  this  nation,  such  liberty  of  the  press  is  allowed,  that 
every  author  takes  leave,  without  offence,  freely  to  speak  his 
opinion  concerning  the  management  of  public  affairs,  and  the 
duty  of  the  legislature,  and  those  that  are  at  the  head  of  the  ad- 
ministration, though  vastly  his  superiors :  as  now  at  this  day, 
private  subjects  offer  their  sentiments  to  the  public,  from  the 
press,  concerning  the  management  of  the  war  with  Spain  ;  freely 
declaring  what  they  think  to  be  the  duty  of  Parliament  and  the 
principal  ministers  of  state. 

We  in  New  England  are  at  this  day  engaged  in  a  more  im- 
portant war ;  and  I  am  sure,  if  we  consider  the  sad  janghng  and 
confusion  that  has  attended  it,  we  shall  confess  that  it  is  highly 
requisite  that  somebody  should  speak  his  mind  concerning  the 
way  in  which  it  ought  to  be  managed  ;  and  that  not  only  a  few 
of  the  many  particulars  that  are  the  matter  of  strife  in  the  land, 
should  be  debated,  on  the  one  side  and  the  other,  in  pamphlets 
(as  has  of  late  been  done  with  heat  and  fierceness  enough)  which 
does  not  tend  to  bring  the  contention  in  general  to  an  end,  but 
rather  to  inflame  it,  and  increase  the  uproar ;  but  that  something 

5* 


106  THE  author's  preface. 

should  be  published  to  bring  the  work  in  general,  and  the  many 
things  that  attend  it  that  are  the  subjects  of  debate,  under  a  par- 
ticular consideration.  Certainly  it  is  high  time  that  this  was 
done. 

If  private  persons  may  speak  their  minds  without  aiTogance, 
much  more  may  a  minister  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  speak  freely 
about  things  of  this  nature,  which  do  so  nearly  concern  the  inte- 
rest of  the  kingdom  of  his  Lord  and  Master  at  so  important  a 
juncture.  If  some  elder  minister  had  undertaken  this,  I  acknow- 
ledge it  would  have  been  more  proper ;  but  I  have  heard  of  no 
such  thing  doing,  or  like  to  be  done.  I  hope  therefore  I  shall  be 
excused  for  undertaking  such  a  piece  of  work.  I  think  nothing 
that  I  have  said  can  justly  be  interpreted  as  though  I  would  im- 
pose my  thoughts  upon  any,  or  did  not  suppose  that  others  have 
equal  right  to  think  for  themselves,  with  myself.  We  are  not 
accountable  one  to  another  for  our  thoughts ;  but  we  must  all 
give  an  account  to  Him  who  searches  our  hearts,  and  has  doubt- 
less his  eye  especially  upon  us  at  such  an  extraordinary  season 
as  this.  If  I  have  well  confirmed  my  opinion  concerning  this 
work,  and  the  way  in  which  it  should  be  acknowledged  and  pro- 
moted, with  Scripture  and  reason,  I  hope  others  that  read  it  will 
receive  it  as  a  manifestation  of  the  mind  and  will  of  God.  If 
others  would  hold  forth  further  hght  to  me  in  any  of  these  par- 
ticulars, I  hope  I  should  thankfully  receive  it.  I  think  I  have 
been  made  in  some  measure  sensible,  and  much  more  of  late  than 
formerly,  of  my  need  of  more  wisdom  than  I  have.  I  make  it 
my  rule  to  lay  hold  of  light  and  embrace  it  wherever  I  see  it, 
though  held  forth  by  a  child  or  an  enemy.  If  I  have  assumed  too 
much  in  the  follo^ving  discourse,  and  have  spoken  in  a  manner 
that  savors  of  a  spirit  of  pride,  no  wonder  that  others  can  better 
discern  it  than  I  mj^self.  If  it  be  so,  I  ask  pardon,  and  beg  the 
praj^ers  of  every  Christian  reader  that  I  may  have  more  light, 
humility  and  zeal ;  and  that  I  may  be  favored  with  such  mea- 
sures of  the  divine  Spirit  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  stands  in 
need  of  at  such  an  extraordinary  season. 


REVIVAL    OF     RELIGION 


IN 


NEW  ENGLAND. 


PART    I. 

SHOWING    THAT    THE   EXTRAORDINARY   WORK  THAT   HAS    OF   LATE 
BEEN    GOING  ON  IN  THIS  LAND  IS  A  GLORIOUS  WORK  OF    GOD. 

The  ERROR  of  those  v^ho  have  had  ill  thoughts  of  the 
great  religious  operations  on  the  minds  of  men  that  have 
been  carried  on  of  late  in  New  England  (so  far  as  the 
ground  of  such  an  error  has  been  in  the  understanding, 
and  not  in  the  disposition-,)  seems  fundamentally  to  lie 
in  three  things  :  1.  In  judging  of  this  work  a  priori. 
2.  In  not  taking  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  a  whole  rule 
whereby  to  judge  of  such  operations.  3.  In  not  justly 
separating  and  distinguishing  the    good  from  the    bad. 

1,  Error  in  judging  of  this  work  a  priori. 
Some  have  greatly  erred  in  the  way  in  which  they 
have  gone  about  to  try  this  work,  whether  it  be  a  work 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  judging  of  it  a  priori,  from  the 
way  that  it  began,  the  instruments  t-hat  have  been  employ- 
ed, the  means  that  have  been  made  use  of,  and  the  methods 
that  have  been  taken  and  succeeded  in  carrying  it  on. 
Whereas,  if  we  duly  consider  the  matter,  it  will  evident- 
ly appear  that  such  a  work  is  not  to  be  judged  of  a  priori, 
but  a  posteriori :  we  are  to  observe  the  effect  wrought ; 
and  if,  upon  examination  of  it,  it  be  found  to  be  agree- 


108  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

able  to  the  word  of  God,  we  are  bound,  without  more 
ado,  to  rest  in  it  as  God's  work ;  and  shall  be  like  to 
be  rebuked  for  our  arrogance,  if  we  refuse  so  to  do 
till  God  shall  explain  to  us  how  he  has  brought  this  effect 
to  pass,  or  why  he  has  made  use  of  such  and  such  means 
in  doing  it. 

These  texts  are  enough  to  cause  us  with  trembling  to 
forbear  such  a  way  of  proceeding  in  judging  of  a  work 
of  God's  Spirit :  "  Who  hath  directed  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord,  or  being  his  counsellor  hath  taught  him  %  With 
whom  took  he  counsel  %  And  who  instructed  him,  and 
who  taught  him  in  the  path  of  judgment,  and  taught  him 
knowledge,  and  showed  to  him  the  way  of  understand- 
in  o- ?"  "  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  listeth ;  and  thou 
hearest  the  sound  thereof;  but  canst  not  tell  whence  it 
cometh,  and  whither  it  goeth."  Isa.  40  :  13,  14 ;  John, 
3  :  8.  We  hear  the  sound,  we  perceive  the  effect,  and 
from  thence  we  judge  that  the  wind  does  indeed  blow ; 
without  waiting,  before  we  pass  this  judgment,  first  to 
be  satisfied  what  should  be  the  cause  of  the  wind's  blow- 
in  or  from  such  a  part  of  the  heavens,  and  how  it  should 
come  to  pass  that  it  should  blow  in  such  a  manner,  at 
such  a  time. 

To  judge  a  priori,  is  a  wrong  way  of  judging  of  any  of 
the  works  of  God.  We  are  not  to  resolve  that  we  will 
first  be  satisfied  liow  God  brought  this  or  the  other  ef- 
fect to  pass,  and  why  he  hath  made  it  thus,  or  why  it  has 
pleased  him  to  take  such  a  course,  and  to  use  such  and 
such  means,  before  we  will  acknowledge  his  work  and 
give  him  the  glory  of  it.  This  is  too  much  for  the  day 
to  take  upon  it  with  respect  to  the  Potter.  God  gives 
not  account  of  his  matters  :  his  judgments  are  a  great 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  109 

deep  :  he  hath  his  way  in  the  sea,  and  his  path  in  the 
great  waters,  and  his  footsteps  are  not  known ;  and  who 
shall  teach  God  knowledge,  or  enjoin  him  his  way,  or 
say  unto  him,  what  doest  thou  ?  We  know  not  what  is 
the  way  of  the  Spirit,  nor  how  the  bones  do  grow  in  the 
womb  of  her  that  is  with  child ;  even  so  we  know  not 
the  works  of  God  who  maketh  all.  No  wonder,  there- 
fore, if  those  that  go  this  forbidden  way  to  work  in  judg- 
ing of  the  present  wonderful  operation,  are  perplexed 
and  confounded.  We  ought  to  take  heed  that  we  do 
not  expose  ourselves  to  the  calamity  of  those  who  pried 
into  the  ark  of  God,  when  God  mercifully  returned  it  to 
Israel  after  it  had  departed  from  them. 

Indeed  God  has  not  taken  that  course,  nor  made  use 
of  those  means  to  begin  and  carry  on  this  great  work, 
which  men  in  their  wisdom  .would  have  thought  most  ad- 
visable, if  he  had  asked  their  counsel ;  but  quite  the  con- 
trary. But  it  appears  to  me  that  the  great  God  has 
wrought  like  himself,  in  the  manner  of  his  carrying  on 
this  work ;  so  as  very  much  to  show  his  own  glory,  and 
exalt  his  own  sovereignty,  power,  and  all-sufficiency,  and 
pour  contempt  on  all  that  human  strength,  wisdom,  pru- 
dence and  sufficiency  that  men  have  been  wont  to  trust, 
and  to  glory  in  ;  so  as  greatly  to  cross,  rebuke,  and  chas- 
tise the  pride  and  other  corruptions  of  men ;  in  a  fulfil- 
ment of  Isa.  2  :  17  :  "And  the  loftiness  of  man  shall  be 
bowed  down,  and  the  haughtiness  of  men  shall  be  made 
low,  and  the  Lord  alone  shall  be  exalted  in  that  day." 
God  doeth  thus,  in  intermingling  in  his  providence  so 
many  stumbling-blocks  with  this  work;  in  suffering  so 
much  of  human  weakness  and  infirmity  to  appear ;  and 
in  ordering  so  many  things  that  are  mysterious  to  men's 


110  REVIVAL    OP    RELIGION 

wisdom :  in  pouring  out  his  Spirit  chiefly  on  the  com- 
mon people,  and  bestowing  his  greatest  and  highest  fa- 
vors upon  them,  admitting  them  nearer  to  himself  than 
the  great,  the  honorable,  the  rich,  and  the  learned,  agree- 
ably to  that  prophecy,  Zech.  12  :  7,  "  The  Lord  also  shall 
save  the  tents  of  Judah  first,  that  the  glory  of  the  house 
of  David,  and  the  glory  of  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem 
do  not  magnify  themselves  against  Judah."  Those  that 
dwelt  in  the  tents  of  Judah  were  the  common  people, 
that  dwelt  in  the  country,  and  were  of  inferior  rank.  The 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  were  their  citizens,  their  men 
of  wealth  and  figure  :  and  Jerusalem  also  was  the  chief 
place  of  the  habitation  or  resort  of  their  priests,  and 
Levites,  and  their  officers  and  judges ;  there  sat  the 
great  Sanhedrim.  The  house  of  David  were  the  highest 
rank  of  all,  the  royal  family,  and  the  great  men  that  were 
round  about  the  king.  It  is  evident  by  the  context  that 
this  prophecy  has  respect  to  something  further  than 
saving  the  people  out  of  the  Babylonish  captivity. 

God  in  this  work  has  begun  at  the  lower  end,  and  he 
has  made  use  of  the  weak  and  foolish  things  of  the  world 
to  carry  on  his  work.  The  ministers  that  have  been 
chiefly  employed,  have  some  of  them  been  mere  babes 
in  age  and  standing,  and  some  of  them  such  as  have  not 
been  so  high  in  reputation  among  their  brethren  as  many 
others ;  and  God  has  suffered  their  infirmities  so  to  ap- 
pear in  the  sight  of  others  as  much  to  displease  them  ; 
and  at  the  same  time  it  has  pleased  God  to  employ 
them,  and  greatly  to  succeed  them,  while  he  has  not 
so  succeeded  others  that  are  generally  reputed  vastly 
their  superiors.  Yea,  there  is  reason  to  think  that 
it    has   pleased    God    to   make   use    of  the    infirmities 


IN   NEW   ENGLAND.  HI 

and  sins  of  some  that  he  has  employed  and  suc- 
ceeded ;  as  particularly  their  imprudent  and  rash  zeal, 
and  censorious  spirit,  to  chastise  the  deadness,  negli- 
gence, earthly-mindedness  and  vanity  that  have  been 
found  among  ministers  in  the  late  times  of  general  de- 
clension and  deadness,  wherein  wise  virgins  and  foolish, 
ministers  and  people  have  sunk  into  such  a  deep  sleep. 
These  things  in  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  that  go  forth  as 
the  ambassadors  of  Christ,  and  have  the  care  of  immortal 
souls,  are  extremely  offensive  to  God ;  vastly  more  hate- 
ful in  his  sight  than  all  the  imprudence  and  intemperate 
heats,  wildness  and  distraction  (as  some  call  it)  of  these 
zealous  preachers.  A  supine  carelessness,  and  a  vain, 
carnal,  worldly  spirit,  in  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  is  the 
worst  madness  and  distraction  in  the  sight  of  God.  God 
may  also  make  use  at  this  day  of  the  unchristian  censo- 
riousness  of  some  preachers,  the  more  to  humble  and 
purify  some  of  his  own  children  and  true  servants  that 
have  been  wrongfully  censured,  to  fit  them  for  more  emi- 
nent service  and  future  honor  for  which  he  designs  them. 

2.  Erro7'  i?i  not  judging  of  the  work   hy  Scripture  as 
a  ichole. 

Another  foundation  error  of  those  that  do  not  acknow- 
ledge the  divinity  of  this  work,  is  not  taking  tlie  Holy 
Scripture  as  a  wJiole,  and  in  itself  a'sirfficient  rule  to  judge 
of  such  things  by.  They  that  have  one  certain  consis- 
tent rule  to  judge  by,  are  like  to  come  to  some  clear  de- 
termination ;  but  they  that  have  half  a  dozen  different 
rules  to  make  the  thing  they  would  judge  of  agree  to, 
no  wonder  that  instead  of  justly  and  clearly  determining, 
they  do  but  perplex  and  darken  themselves  and  others. 


112  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

They  that  would  learn  the  true  measure  of  any  thing, 
and  vs'ill  have  many  different  measures  to  try  it  by,  and 
find  in  it  a  conformity  to,  have  a  task  that  they  will 
not  accomplish. 

Those  that  I  am  speaking  of  will  indeed  make  some 
use  of  Scripture,  so  far  as  they  think  it  serves  their  turn ; 
but  do  not  make  use  of  it  alone,  as  a  rule  sufficient  hy  it- 
self, but  make  as  much,  and  a  great  deal  more  use  of 
other  things,  diverse  and  wide  from  it,  to  judge  of  this 
work  by.    As  particularly, 

1.  Some  make  philosophy,  instead  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, their  rule  of  judging  of  this  work  ;  particularly  the 
philosophical  notions  they  entertain  of  the  nature  of  the 
soul,  its  faculties  and  affections.  Some  are  ready  to  say, 
"  There  is  but  little  sober,  solid  religion  in  this  work :  it 
is  little  else  but  flash  and  noise.  Religion  now-a-days 
all  runs  out  into  transports  and  high  flights  of  the  pas- 
sions and  affections."  In  their  philosophy,  the  affections 
of  the  soul  are  something  diverse  from  the  will,  and  not 
appertaining  to  the  noblest  part  of  the  soul,  but  the 
meanest  principles  that  it  has,  that  belong  to  man,  as  par- 
taking of  animal  nature,  and  what  he  has  in  common 
with  the  brute  creation,  rather  than  any  thing  whereby 
he  is  conformed  to  angels  and  pure  spirits.  And  though 
they  acknowledge  that  a  good  use  may  be  made  of  the 
affections  in  religion,  yet  they  suppose  that  the  substan- 
tial part  of  religion  does  not  consist  in  them,  but  that 
they  are  rather  to  be  looked  upon  as  something  adventi- 
tious and  accidental  in  Christianity. 

But  I  cannot  but  think  that  these  gentlemen  labor  un- 
der great  mistakes  both  in  their  philosophy  and  divinity. 
It  is  true,  distinction  must  be  made  in  affections  or  pas- 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  113 

sions.  There  is  a  great  diversity  in  high  and  raised  af- 
fections, which  must  be  distinguished  by  the  skill  of  the 
observer.  Some  are  much  more  solid  than  others. 
There  are  many  exercises  of  the  affections  that  are  very 
flashy  and  little  to  be  depended  on  ;  and  oftentimes  there 
is  a  great  deal  that  appertains  to  them,  or  rather  that  is 
the  effect  of  them,  that  has  its  seat  in  animal  nature,  and 
is  very  much  owing  to  the  constitution  and  frame  of  the 
body;  and  that  which  sometimes  more  especially  obtains 
the  name  of  passion,  is  nothing  solid  or  substantial.  But 
it  is  false  philosophy  to  suppose  this  to  be  the  case 
with  all  exercises  of  affection  in  the  soul,  or  with  all  great 
and  high  affections  ;  and  false  divinity  to  suppose  that  re- 
ligious affections  do  not  appertain  to  the  substance  and  es- 
sence of  Christianity  :  on  the  contrary,  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  very  life  and  soul  of  all  tirue  religion  consists  in  them. 
I  humbly  conceive  that  the  affections  of  the  soul  are 
not  properly  to  be  distinguished  from  the  luill,  as  though 
they  were  two  faculties  in  the  soul.  All  acts  of  the  affec- 
tions of  the  soul  are  in  some  sense  acts  of  the  will,  and 
all  acts  of  the  will  are  acts  of  the  affections.  All  exercises 
of  the  will  are,  in  some  degiee  or  other,  exercises  of  the 
soul's  appetition  or  aversion  ;  or  which  is  the  same  thing, 
of  its  love  or  hatred.  The  soul  wills  one  thing  rather 
than  another,  or  chooses  one  thing  rather  than  another,  no 
otherwise  than  as  it  loves  one  thing  more  than  another ; 
but  love  and  hatred  are  affections  of  the  soul :  and  there- 
fore all  acts  of  the  will  are  truly  acts  of  the  affections ; 
though  the  exercises  of  the  will  do  not  obtain  the  name 
of  passions,  unless  the  will,  either  in  its  aversion  or  op- 
position, be  exercised  in  a  high  degree,  or  in  a  vigorous 
and  lively  manner. 


114  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

All  vv^ill  allow  that  true  virtue  or  holiness  has  its  seat 
chiefly  in  the  heart  rather  than  in  the  head  :  it  therefore 
follows,  from  what  has  been  said  already,  that  it  consists 
chiefly  in  holy  affections.  The  things  of  religion  take 
place  in  men's  hearts  no  further  than  they  are  affected 
with  them.  The  informing  of  the  understanding  is  all 
vain,  any  farther  than  it  affects  the  heart :  or  which  is  the 
same  thing,  has  influence  on  the  affections. 

Those  gentlemen  that  make  light  of  these  raised  affec- 
tions in  religion,  will  doubtless  allow  that  true  religion 
and  holiness,  as  it  has  its  seat  in  the  heart,  is  capable  of 
very  high  degrees  and  high  exercises  in  the  soul.  As 
for  instance,  they  will  doubtless  allow  that  the  holiness 
of  the  heart  or  will  is  capable  of  being  raised  to  a  hun- 
dred times  as  great  a  degree  of  strength  as  it  is  in  the 
most  eminent  saint  on  earth,  or  being  exerted  in  a  hundred 
times  as  strong  and  vigorous  exercises  of  the  heart; 
and  yet  being  true  religion  or  holiness  still,  but  only 
in  a  high  degree.  Now  therefore  I  would  ask  them  by 
what  name  they  will  call  these  high  and  vigorous  exer- 
cises of  the  will  or  heart?  Are  they  not  high  affections  1 
What  can  they  consist  in,  but  in  high  acts  of  love  ;  strong 
and  vigorous  exercises  of  benevolence  and  complacence; 
high,  exalting  and  admiring  thoughts  of  God  and  his  per- 
fections ;  strong  desires  after  God  ?  &c.  And  now  what 
are  we  come  to  but  high  and  raised  affections  ]  yea,  those 
very  same  high  and  raised  affections  that  before  they  ob- 
jected against,  or  made  light  of,  as  worthy  of  little  regard  ] 

I  suppose  furthermore  that  all  will  allow  that  there  is 
nothing  but  solid  religion  in  heaven  :  but  that  there  re- 
ligion and  holiness  of  heart  is  raised  to  an  exceeding 
great  height,  to  strong,  high,  exalted  exercises  of  heart. 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  115 

Now,  what  other  kinds  of  such  exceeding  strong  and 
high  exercises  of  the  heart,  or  of  hoHness,  as  it  has  its 
seat  in  their  hearts,  can  we  imagine  for  them,  but  only 
holy  affections,  high  degrees  of  actings  of  love  to  God, 
rejoicing  in  God,  admiring  of  God?  &c.  Therefore 
these  things  in  the  saints  and  angels  in  heaven  are  not 
to  be  despised  and  cashiered  by  the  name  of  great  heats 
and  transports  of  the  passions. 

And  it  will  doubtless  be  yet  further  allowed,  that  the 
more  eminent  the  saints  are  on  earth,  and  the  stronger 
their  gi'ace  is,  and  the  higher  its  exercises  are,  the  more 
they  are  like  the  saints  in  heaven ;  that  is,  (by  what  has 
been  just  now  observed,)  the  more  they  have  of  high  or 
ra,ised  affections  in  religion. 

Though  there  are  false  affections  in  religion,  and  af- 
fections that  in  some  respects  are  raised  high,  which  are 
flashy,  yet  undoubtedly  there  are  also  true,  holy  and  solid 
affections ;  and  the  higher  these  are  raised,  the  better : 
and  if  they  are  raised  to  an  exceeding  great  height,  they 
are  not  to  be  thought  meanly  of  or  suspected  merely  be- 
cause of  their  great  degree,  but  on  the  contrary  to  be  es- 
teemed and  rejoiced  in.  Charity,  or  divine  love,  is  in 
Scripture  represented  as  the  sum  of  all  the  religion  of 
the  heart ;  but  this  is  nothing  but  a  holy  affection :  and 
therefore  in  proportion  as  this  is  firmly  fixed  in  the  soul, 
and  raised  to  a  great  height,  the  more  eminent  a  person 
is  in  holiness.  Divine  love  or  charity  is  represented  as 
the  sum  of  all  the  religion  of  heaven,  and  that  wherein 
mainly  the  religion  of  the  church  in  its  more  perfect  state 
on  earth  shall  consist,  when  knowledge,  and  tongues,  and 
prophesyings  shall  cease  ;  and  therefore  the  higher  this 
holy  affection  is  raised  in  the  church  of  God,  or  in  a  gra- 


116  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

cious  soul,  the  more  excellent  and  perfect  is  the  state  of 
the  church  or  a  particular  soul. 

If  we  take  the  Scriptures  for  our  rule,  then  the  great- 
er and  higher  are  the  exercises  of  love  to  God,  delight 
and  complacence  in  God,  desires  and  longings  after  God, 
delight  in  the  children  of  God,  love  to  mankind,  broken- 
ness  of  heart,  abhorrence  of  sin,  and  self-abhorrence  for 
sin  ;  and  the  peace  of  God,  w^hich  passeth  all  understand- 
ing, and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  joy  unspeakable  and  full 
of  glory,  admiring  thoughts  of  God,  exulting  and  glorying 
in  God ;  so  much  the  higher  is  Christ's  religion,  or  that 
virtue  which  he  and  his  apostles  taught,  raised  in  the  soul. 

It  is  an  occasion  of  stumbling  to  some,  that  religious 
affections  should  seem  to  be  so  powerful^  or  that  they 
should  be  so  violent  (as  they  express  it)  in  some  persons : 
they  are  therefore  ready  to  doubt  whether  it  can  be  the 
Spirit  of  God,  or  whether  this  vehemence  be  not  rather 
a  sign  of  the  operation  of  an  evil  spirit.  But  why  should 
such  a  doubt  arise  from  no  other  ground  than  this  %  What 
is  represented  in  Scripture  as  more  powerful  in  its  effects 
than  the  Spirit  of  God  %  which  is  therefore  called  ike 
fower  of  the  Highest,  Luke,  1  :  35  ;  audits  saving  effect  in 
the  soul  called  the  power  of  godliness.  So  we  read  of  the 
demonstration  of  the  Spirit  and  of  power.  1  Cor.  2  :  4. 
And  it  is  said  to  operate  in  the  minds  of  men  with  the  ex- 
ceeding greatness  of  divine  power,  and  according  to  the 
working  of  God's  mighty  power,  Eph.  1  :  19  ;  so  we  read 
of  the  effectual  working  of  his  power,  Eph.  3:7;  and  of 
the  power  that  worketh  in  christians,  5  :  20 ;  and  of  the 
glorious  power  of  God  in  the  operations  of  the  Spirit, 
Col.  1:11;  and  of  the  work  of  faith,  its  being  wrought 
with  power,  2  Thes.  1  :  11;   and  in  2  Tim.   1  :  7,  the 


IN   NEW    ENGLAND.  117 

Spirit  of  God  is  called  the  spirit  of  power,  and  love,  and 
of  a  sound  mind.  So  the  Spirit  is  represented  by  a  mighty- 
wind,  and  by  fire,  things  most  powerful  in  their  operation. 
2.  Many  are  guilty  of  not  taking  the  Holy  Scriptures 
as  a  sufficient  and  wJiole  rule  whereby  to  judge  of  this 
work  whether  it  be  the  work  of  God,  in  that  they  judge 
by  those  things  which  the  Scripture  does  not  give  as  any 
signs  or  marks  whereby  to  judge  one  way  or  the  other, 
and  therefore  do  in  no  wise  belong  to  the  Scripture  rule 
of  judging ;  namely,  the  effects  that  religious  exercises 
and  affections  of  mind  have  upon  the  body.  Scripture  rules 
respect  the  state  of  the  mind,  and  persons'  moral  con- 
duct and  voluntary  behavior,  and  not  the  physical  state 
of  the  body.  The  design  of  the  Scripture  is  to  teach  us 
divinity,  and  not  physic  and  anatomy.  Ministers  are  made 
the  watchmen  of  men's  souls,  and  not  of  their  bodies  j 
and  therefore  the  great  rule  which  God  has  committed 
into  their  hands,  is  to  make  them  divines,  and  not  physi- 
cians. Christ  knew  what  instructions  and  rules  his  church 
would  stand  in  need  of  better  than  we  do ;  and  if  he  had 
seen  it  needful  in  order  to  the  church's  safety,  he  doubt- 
less would  have  given  ministers  rules  to  judge  of  bodily 
effects,  and  would  have  told  them  how  the  pulse  should 
beat  under  such  and  such  religious  exercises  of  mind  ; 
when  men  should  look  pale,  and  when  they  should  shed 
tears ;  when  they  should  tremble,  and  whether  they 
should  ever  be  faint  or  cry  out;  or  whether  the  body 
should  ever  be  put  into  convulsions  :  he  probably  would 
have  put  some  book  into  their  hands  that  should  have 
tended  to  make  them  excellent  anatomists  and  physicians; 
but  he  has  not  done  it,  because  he  did  not  see  it  to  be 
needful.  He  judged  that  if  ministers  thoroughly  did  their 


118  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

duty  as  watchmen  and  overseers  of  the  state  and  frame 
of  men's  souls,  and  of  their  voluntary  conduct  according 
to  the  rules  he  had  given,  his  church  would  be  well  pro- 
vided for  as  to  its  safety  in  these  matters  :  and  therefore 
those  ministers  of  Christ  and  overseers  of  souls  that  busy 
themselves  and  are  full  of  concern  about  the  involuntary 
motions  of  the  fluids  and  solids  of  men's  bodies,  and  from 
thence  are  full  of  doubts  and  suspicions  of  the  cause, 
when  nothing  appears  but  that  the  state  and  frame  of 
their  minds  and  their  voluntary  behavior  is  good  and 
agi'eeable  to  God's  word  ;  I  say,  such  ministers  go  out 
of  the  place  that  Christ  has  set  them  in,  and  leave  their 
proper  business  as  much  as  if  they  should  undertake  to 
tell  who  are  under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  by  their 
looks  or  their  gait.  I  cannot  see  which  way  we  are  in 
danger,  or  how  the  devil  is  like  to  get  any  notable  advan- 
tage against  us,  if  we  but  thoroughly  do  our  duty  with 
respect  to  these  two  things,  viz.  the  state  of  persons'  minds 
and  their  moral  conduct,  seeing  to  it  that  they  be  main- 
tained in  an  agreeableness  to  the  rules  that  Christ  has 
given  us.  If  things  are  but  kept  right  in  these  respects, 
our  fears  and  suspicions  arising  from  extraordinary  bodily 
effects  seem  wholly  groundless. 

The  most  specious  thing  that  is  alleged  against  these 
extraordinary  effects  on  the  body,  is,  that  the  body  is  im- 
paired and  health  wronged ;  and  that  it  is  hard  to  think 
that  God,  in  the  merciful  influences  of  his  Spirit  on  men, 
would  wound  their  bodies  and  impair  their  health.  But 
if  it  were  so  pretty  commonly,  or  in  multiplied  instances, 
(which  I  do  not  suppose  it  is,)  that  persons  received  a 
lasting  wound  to  their  health  by  extraordinary  religious 
impressions  made  upon  their  minds,  yet  it  is  too  much 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  119 

for  us  to  determine  that  God  shall  never  bring  an  out- 
ward calamity  in  bestowing  a  vastly  greater  spiritual  and 
eternal  good. 

Jacob,  in  doing  his  duty  in  wrestling  with  God  for  the 
blessing,  and  while  God  was  striving  with  him,  at  the  same 
time  that  he  received  the  blessing  from  God,  suffered  a 
great  outward  calamity  from  his  hand.  God  impaired  his 
body  so  that  he  never  got  over  it  as  long  as  he  lived ;  he 
gave  him  the  blessing,  but  sent  him  away  halting  on  his 
thigh,  and  he  went  lame  all  his  life  after.  And  yet  this  is 
not  mentioned  as  if  it  were  any  diminution  of  the  great 
mercy  of  God  to  him,  when  God  blessed  him  and  he  re- 
ceived his  name  Israel,  because  as  a  prince  he  had  power 
with  God,  and  had  prevailed. 

But,  say  some,  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God  are 
of  a  benign  nature  ;  nothing  is  of  a  more  kind  influence 
on  human  nature  than  the  merciful  breathings  of  God's 
own  Spirit.  But  it  has  been  generally  suj)posed  and  al- 
lowed in  the  church  of  God  till  now,  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  being  sick  of  love  to  Christ,  or  having  the  bodily 
strength  weakened  by  strong  and  vigorous  exercises  of 
love  to  him.  And  however  kind  to  human  nature  the  in- 
fluences of  the  Spirit  of  God  are,  yet  nobody  doubts  but 
that  divine  and  eternal  things,  as  they  maybe  discovered, 
would  overpower  the  nature  of  man  in  its  j)resent  weak 
state;  and  that  therefore  the  body 'in  its  present  weak- 
ness is  not  fitted  for  the  views,  and  pleasures,  and  em- 
ployments of  heaven  ;  and  that  if  God  did  discover  to 
us  but  a  little  of  that  which  is  seen  by  the  saints  and  an- 
gels in  heaven,  our  frail  natures  would  sink  under  it.  In- 
deed I  know  not  what  persons  may  deny  now,  to  defend 
themselves  in  a  cause  they  have  had  their  spirits  long  en- 


120  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

gaged  in  ;  but  I  know  these  things  have  not  usually  been 
denied  or  doubted  of.  Let  us  rationally  consider  w^hat 
we  profess  to  believe  of  the  infinite  greatness  of  the 
things  of  God,  the  divine  wrath,  the  divine  glory,  and 
thn  divine  infinite  love  and  grace  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
the  vastness  and  infinite  importance  of  the  things  of 
eternity ;  and  how  reasonable  it  is  to  suppose  that  if  it 
pleases  God  a  little  to  withdraw  the  veil  and  let  light 
into  the  soul,  and  give  something  of  a  view  of  the  great 
things  of  another  World  in  their  transcendent  and  infinite 
greatness,  human  nature,  which  is  as  the  grass,  a  shaking 
leaf,  a  weak  withering  flower,  should  totter  under  such  a 
discovery  1  Such  a  bubble  is  too  weak  to  bear  the  weight 
of  a  view  of  things  that  are  so  vast.  Alas  !  what  is  such 
dust  and  ashes  that  it  should  support  itself  under  the 
view  of  the  awful  wrath  or  infinite  glory  and  love  of  Je- 
hovah 1  No  wonder  therefore  that  it  is  said,  no  man  can 
see  God  and  live,  and  flesh  and  blood  cannot  inherit  the 
kingdom  of  God. 

That  external  glory  and  majesty  of  Christ  which  Daniel 
saw,  when  there  remained  no  strength  in  him,  and  his 
comeliness  was  turned  in  him  into  corruption,  Dan.  10  : 
6,  7,  8 ;  and  which  the  apostle  John  saw,  when  he  fell  at 
his  feet  as  dead  ;  was  but  an  image  or  shadow  of  that  spi- 
ritual glory  and  majesty  of  Christ  which  will  be  mani- 
fested in  the  souls  of  the  saints  in  another  world,  and 
which  is  sometimes,  in  some  degree,  manifested  to  the 
soul  in  this  world  by  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 
And  if  the  beholding  of  the  image  and  external  repre- 
sentation of  this  spiritual  majesty  and  glory  did  so  over- 
power human  nature,  is  it  unreasonable  to  suppose  that 
a  sight  of  the  spiritual  glory  itself,  which  is  the  substance 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  121 

of  which  that  was  but  the  shadow,  should  have  as  power- 
ful an  effect  1  The  prophet  Habakkuk,  speaking  of  the 
awful  manifestations  God  made  of  his  majesty  and  wrath 
at  the  Red  Sea,  and  in  the  wilderness,  and  at  Mount  Sinai, 
where  he  gave  the  law ;  and  of  the  merciful  influence 
and  strong  impression  God  caused  it  to  have  upon  him, 
to  the  end  that  he  might  be  saved  from  that  wrath,  and 
rest  in  the  day  of  trouble ;  says,  Hab.  3  :  16,  •*  When  I 
heard,  my  belly  trembled,  my  lips  quivered  at  the  voice, 
rottenness  entered  into  my  bones,  I  trembled  in  myself, 
that  I  might  rest  in  the  day  of  trouble."  Which  is  much 
such  an  effect  as  the  discovery  of  the  same  majesty  and 
wrath,  in  the  same  awful  voice  from  Mount  Sinai,  has  had 
upon  many  in  these  days ;  and  to  the  same  purposes,  viz. 
to  give  them  rest  in  the  day  of  trouble,  and  save  them 
from  that  wrath.  The  Psalmist  also  speaks  of  very  much 
such  an  effect  as  I  have  often  seen  on  persons  under  reli- 
gious affections  of  late,  Psalm  119  :  131,  "  I  opened  my 
mouth  and  panted,  for  I  longed  for  thy  commandments." 
God  is  pleased  sometimes,  in  dealing  forth  spiritual 
blessings  to  his  people,  in  some  respect  to  exceed  the 
capacity  of  the  vessel  in  its  present  scantiness,  so  that  he 
does  not  only  fill  it  full,  but  he  makes  their  cuj)  to  run  over; 
agreeable  to  Psalm  23  :  5.  He  pours  out  a  blessing  some- 
times in  such  a  manner  and  measure  that  there  is  not 
room  enough  to  receive  it,  Mai.  3  :  10,  and  gives  them 
riches  more  than  they  can  carry  away ;  as  he  did  to  Je- 
hoshaphat  and  his  people  in  a  time  of  great  favor,  by 
the  word  of  his  prophet  Jehaziel  in  answer  to  earnest 
prayer,  when  the  people  blessed  the  Lord  in  the  valley 
of  Berachah,  2  Chron,  20  :  25,  26.  It  has  long  been  with 
the  disciples  of  Christ  a  time  of  great  emptiness  in  re- 
Revival  of  Rel  6 


122  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

spect  to  spiritual  tilings  :  they  have  gone  hungry,  and 
have  been  toiling  in  vain  during  a  dark  season,  a  time 
of  night  vrith  the  church  of  God ;  as  it  was  with  the  dis- 
ciples of  old,  when  they  had  toiled  all  night  for  some- 
thing to  eat,  and  caught  nothing,  Luke,  5  :  5,  and  John 
21:3.  But  now,  the  morning  being  come,  Jesus  appears 
to  his  disciples,  and  takes  a  compassionate  notice  of  their 
wants,  and  says  to  them,  Childreii,  have  ye  any  meati  and 
gives  some  of  them  such  abundance  of  food  that  they 
are  not  able  to  draw  their  net;  yea,  so  that  their  net 
breaks,  and  their  vessel  is  overloaded,  and  begins  to 
sink ;  as  it  was  with  the  disciples  of  old.  Luke,  5:6,7, 
and  John,  21  :  6. 

We  cannot  determine  that  God  shall  never  give  any 
person  so  much  of  a  discovery  of  himself,  as  not  only  to 
weaken  the  body  but  to  take  away  life.  It  is  supposed 
by  very  learned  and  judicious  divines,  that  Moses'  life  was 
taken  away  after  this  manner ;  and  this  has  also  been  sup- 
posed to  be  the  case  with  some  other  saints.  Yea,  I  do 
not  see  any  solid  sure  grounds  any  have  to  determine 
that  God  shall  never  make  such  strong  impressions  on 
the  mind  by  his  Spirit  as  shall  be  an  occasion  of  so  im- 
pairing the  frame  of  the  body,  and  particularly  that  part 
of  the  body,  the  brain,  that  persons  shall  be  deprived  of 
the  use  of  reason.  As  I  said  before,  it  is  too  much  for  us 
to  determine  that  God  will  not  bring  an  outward  cala- 
mity in  bestowing  spiritual  and  eternal  blessings  :  so  it  is 
too  much  for  us  to  determine  how  great  an  outward  cala- 
mity he  will  bring.  If  God  gives  a  great  increase  of  dis- 
coveries of  himself,  and  of  love  to  him,  the  benefit  is  in- 
finitely greater  thS,n  the  calamity,  though  life  should  pre- 
sently after  be  taken  away ;  yea,  though  the  soul  should 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  123 

not  immediately  be  taken  to  heaven,  but  should  lie  some 
years  in  a  deep  sleep,  and  then  be  taken  to  heaven  :  or, 
which  is  much  the  same  thing,  if  it  be  deprived  of  the  use 
of  its  faculties,  and  be  inactive  and  unserviceable,  as  if  it 
lay  in  a  deep  sleep  for  some  years,  and  then  should  pass 
into  glory.  We  cannot  determine  how  great  a  calamity 
distraction  is,  when  considered  with  all  its  consequences, 
and  all  that  might  have  been  consequent  if  the  distrac- 
tion had  not  happened ;  nor  indeed  whether  (thus  con- 
sidered) it  may  be  any  calamity  at  all,  or  whether  it  be 
not  a  mercy,  by  preventing  some  great  sin,  or  some  more 
dreadful  thing,  if  it  had  not  been.  It  is  a  great  fault  in 
us  to  limit  a  sovereign,  all-wise  God,  whose  judgments 
are  a  great  deep,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out,  where  he 
has  not  limited  himself,  and  in  things  concerning  which 
he  has  not  told  us  what  his  way  shall  be. 

It  is  remarkable,  considering  in  what  multitudes  of  in- 
stances, and  to  how  great  a  degree  the  frame  of  the  body 
has  been  overpowered  of  late,  that  persons'  lives  have 
notwithstanding  been  preserved,  and  that  the  instances 
of  those  that  have  been  deprived  of  reason  have  been  so 
very  few,  and  those,  perhaps  all  of  them,  persons  under 
the  peculiar  disadvantage  of  a  weak,  vapory  habit  of  body. 
A  merciful  and  careful  divine  hand  is  very  manifest  in  it, 
that  in  so  many  instances  where  the  ship  has  begun  to 
sink,  yet  it  has  been  upheld,  and  has  not  totally  sunk. 
The  instances  of  such  as  have  been  deprived  of  reason 
are  so  few,  that  certainly  they  are  not  enough  to  cause  us 
to  be  in  any  fright,  as  though  this  work  that  has  been  car- 
ried on  in  the  country  was  hke  to  be  of  baneful  influence; 
unless  we  are  disposed  to  gather  up  all  that  we  can  to 
darken  it,  and  set  it  forth  in  frightful  colors. 


124  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

There  is  one  particular  kind  of  exercise  and  concern 
of  mind  that  many  have  been  overpowered  by,  which  has 
been  especially  stumbling  to  some ;  and  that  is,  the  deep 
concern  and  distress  that  they  have  been  in  for  the  souls 
of  others.  I  am  sorry  that  any  put  us  to  the  trouble  of  do- 
ing that  which  seems  so  needless,  as  defending  such  a 
thing  as  this.  It  seems  like  mere  trifling  in  so  plain  a  case, 
to  enter  into  a  formal  and  particular  debate  in  order  to 
determine  whether  there  be  any  thing  in  the  greatness 
and  importance  of  the  case  that  will  answer  and  bear  a 
proportion  to  the  greatness  of  the  concern  that  some  have 
manifested.  Men  may  be  allowed,  from  no  higher  a  prin- 
ciple than  common  ingenuousness  and  humanity,  to  be 
very  deeply  concerned  and  greatly  exercised  in  mind  at 
seeing  others  in  great  danger  of  no  greater  a  calamity 
than  drowning,  or  being  burned  up  in  a  house  on  fire. 
And  if  so,  then  doubtless  it  will  be  allowed  to  be  equally 
reasonable,  if  they  saw  them  in  danger  of  a  calamity  ten 
times  greater,  to  be  still  much  more  concerned  :  and  so 
much  more  still,  if  the  calamity  was  still  vastly  greater. 
And  why  then  should  it  be  thought  unreasonable,  and 
looked  upon  with  a  very  suspicious  eye,  as  if  it  must 
come  from  some  bad  cause,  when  persons  are  extremely 
concerned  at  seeing  others  in  very  great  danger  of  suffer- 
ing the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty  God  to  all  eter- 
nity %  And  besides,  it  will  doubtless  be  allowed  that  those 
that  have  very  great  degrees  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  is  a 
sjjirit  of  love,  may  w^ell  be  supposed  to  have  vastly  more 
of  love  and  compassion  to  their  fellow-creatures  than  those 
that  are  influenced  only  by  common  humanity.  Why 
should  it  be  thought  strange  that  those  that  are  full  of  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  should  be  proportionably,  in  their  love  to 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  125 

souls,  like  Christ  1  who  had  so  strong  a  love  and  concern 
for  them  as  to  be  willing  to  drink  the  dregs  of  the  cup 
of  God's  fury  for  them ;  and  at  the  same  time  that  he  of- 
fered up  his  blood  for  souls,  offered  up  also,  as  their  high 
priest,  strong  crying  and  tears,  with  an  extreme  agony, 
wherein  the  soul  of  Christ  was  as  it  were  in  travail  for 
the  souls  of  the  elect ;  and  therefore  in  saving  them  he  is 
said  to  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul. 

As  such  a  spirit  of  love  to  and  concern  for  souls  was 
the  spirit  of  Christ,  so  it  is  the  spirit  of  the  church ;  and 
therefore  the  church,  in  desiring  and  seeking  that  Christ 
might  be  brought  forth  in  the  world  and  in  the  souls  of 
men,  is  represented,  Rev.  12,  as  a  "  woman  crying,  tra- 
vailing in  birth,  and  pained  to  be  delivered."  The  spirit 
of  those  that  have  been  in  distress  for  the  souls  of  others, 
so  far  as  I  can  discern,  seems  not  to  be  different  from 
that  of  the  apostle,  who  travailed  for  souls,  and  was  rea- 
dy to  wish  himself  accursed  from  Christ  for  others.  And 
that  of  the  Psalmist,  Psalm  119  :  53,  "  Horror  hath  taken 
hold  upon  me,  because  of  the  wicked  that  forsake  thy 
law."  And  ver.  136,  "  Rivers  of  waters  run  down  mine 
eyes,  because  they  keep  not  thy  law."  And  that  of  the 
prophet  Jeremiah,  Jer.  4  :  19,  **  My  bowels  !  My  bow- 
els !  I  am  pained  at  my  very  heart !  My  heart  maketh 
a  noise  in  me  !  I  cannot  hold  my  peace  !  Because  thou 
hast  heard,  O  my  soul,  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  the 
alarm  of  war!"  And  so  chap.  9  :  1,  and  13  :  17,  and  14  : 
17,  and  Isa.  22  :  4.  We  read  of  Mordecai,  when  he  saw 
his  people  in  danger  of  being  destroyed  with  a  temporal 
destruction,  Esth.  4  :  1,  that  "he  rent  his  clothes,  and 
put  on  sackcloth  with  ashes,  and  went  out  into  the  midst 
of  the  city,  and  cried  with  a  loud  and  bitter  cry."    And 


126  REVIVAL    OF    RELI(5lON 

why  then  should  persons  be  thought  to  be  out  of  their 
right  mind  when  they  cannot  forbear  crying  out  at  the 
consideration  of  the  misery  of  those  that  are  going  to 
eternal  destruction  ] 

3.  Another  thing  that  some  make  their  rule  to  judge 
of  this  work  by,  instead  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  is  his- 
tory, or  former  observation.    Herein  they  err  in  two  ways  ; 

First,  if  there  be  any  thing  new  and  extraordinary  in 
the  circumstances  of  this  work  that  was  not  observed  in 
former  times,  that  is  a  rule  with  them  to  reject  this  work 
as  not  the  work  of  God.  Herein  they  make  that  their 
rule  that  God  has  not  given  them  for  their  rule ;  and 
limit  God  where  he  has  not  limited  himself.  And  this 
is  especially  unreasonable  in  this  case :  for  whosoever 
has  well  weighed  the  wonderful  and  mysterious  me- 
thods of  divine  wisdom  in  can-ying  on  the  work  of  the 
new  creation,  or  in  the  progress  of  the  work  of  redemp- 
tion, from  the  first  promise  of  the  seed  of  the  woman  to 
this  time,  may  easily  observe  that  it  has  all  along  been 
God's  manner  to  open  new  scenes,  and  to  bring  forth 
to  view  things  new  and  wonderful,  such  as  eye  had 
not  seen,  nor  ear  heard,  nor  had  entered  into  the  heart 
of  men  or  angels,  to  the  astonishment  of  heaven  and 
earth,  not  only  in  the  revelation  he  makes  of  his  mind 
and  will,  but  also  in  the  works  of  his  hands.  As  the  old 
creation  was  carried  on  through  six  days,  and  appeared 
all  complete,  settled  in  a  state  of  rest  on  the  seventh  ;  so 
the  new  creation,  which  is  immensely  the  greatest  and 
most  glorious  work,  is  carried  on  in  a  gradual  progress, 
from  the  fall  of  man  to  the  consummation  of  all  things  at 
the  end  of  the  world.  And  as  in  the  progress  of  the  old 
creation  there  were  still  new  things  accomplished  j  new 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  127 

wonders  appeared  every  day  in  the  sight  of  the  angels, 
the  spectators  of  that  work ;  while  those  "  morning  stars  " 
sang  together,  new  scenes  were  opened,  or  things  that 
they  had  not  seen  before,  till  the  whole  was  finished  ;  so 
it  is  in  the  progress  of  the  new  creation.  So  that  the 
promise,  Isa.  64  :  4,  "  For  since  the  beginning  of  the 
world,  men  have  not  heard,  nor  perceived  by  the  ear, 
neither  hath  the  eye  seen,  O  God,  besides  thee,  what  he 
hath  prepared  for  him  that  waiteth  for  him,"  though  it 
had  a  glorious  fulfilment  in  the  days  of  Christ  and  the 
apostles,  as  the  words  are  applied,  1  Cor.  2:9;  yet  it 
always  remains  to  be  fulfilled,  in  things  that  are  yet  be- 
hind, until  the  new  creation  is  finished,  at  Christ's  deliv- 
ering up  the  kingdom  to  the  Father.  And  we  live  in 
those  latter  days  wherein  we  may  be  especially  warrant- 
ed to  expect  that  things  will  be  accomplished,  concern- 
ing which  it  will  be  said,  TV/io  Tiath  heard  such  a  thing  ? 
Who  hath  seen  such  things  ? 

And  besides,  those  things  in  this  work  that  have  been 
chiefly  complained  of  as  new,  are  not  so  new  as  has  been 
generally  imagined :  though  they  have  been  much  more 
frequent  lately,  in  proportion  to  the  uncommon  degree, 
extent  and  swiftness,  and  other  extraordinary  circumstan- 
ces of  the  work,  yet  they  are  not  new  in  their  kind ;  but 
are  things  of  the  same  nature  as  have  been  found  and 
well  approved  of  in  the  church  of 'God  before,  from  time 
to  time. 

We  have  a  remarkable  instance  in  Mr.  Bolton,  that 
noted  minister  of  the  church  of  England,  who,  being 
awakened  by  the  preaching  of  the  famous  Mr.  Perkins, 
minister  of  Christ  in  the  University  of  Cambridge,  was 
subject  to  such  terrors  as  threw  him  to  the  ground  and 


128  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

caused  him  to  roar  with  anguish  ;  and  the  pangs  of  the 
new  birth  in  him  were  such,  that  he  lay  pale  and  without 
sense,  like  one  dead  ;  as  we  have  an  account  in  the  Ful- 
ailing  of  the  Scripture,  the  5th  edition,  p.  103,  104. — We 
have  an  account  in  the  same  page  of  another,  whose 
comforts  under  the  sunshine  of  God's  presence  were  so 
great,  that  he  could  not  forbear  crying  out  in  a  transport, 
and  expressing  in  exclamations  the  great  sense  he  had 
of  forgiving  mercy  and  his  assurance  of  God's  love.  And 
we  have  a  remarkable  instance  in  the  life  of  Mr.  George 
Trosse,  written  by  himself,  (who,  from  being  a  notorious- 
ly vicious,  profligate  liver,  became  an  eminent  saint  and 
minister  of  the  Gospel,)  of  terrors  occasionally,  by  awak- 
enings of  conscience,  so  overpowering  the  body  as  to  de- 
prive, for  some  time,  of  the  use  of  reason. 

Yea,  such  extraordinary  external  effects  of  inward  im- 
pressions have  not  only  been  found  in  here  and  there  a 
single  person,  but  there  have  also  been  times  wherein 
many  have  been  thus  affected  in  some  particular  parts  of 
the  church  of  God  ;  and  such  effects  have  appeared  in 
congregations,  in  many  at  once.  So  it  was  in  the  year 
1625,  in  the  west  of  Scotland,  in  a  time  of  a  great  out- 
pouring of  the  Spirit  of  God.  It  was  then  a  frequent 
thing  for  many  to  be  so  extraordinarily  seized  with  ter- 
ror in  the  hearing  of  the  word,  by  the  Spirit  of  God  con- 
vincing them  of  sin,  that  they  fell  down  and  were  car- 
ried out  of  the  church,  who  afterwards  proved  most  solid 
and  lively  christians ;  as  the  author  of  the  Fuljilling  of 
the  Scripture  informs  us,  p.  185.  The  same  author  in  the 
preceding  page  informs  of  many  in  France  that  were  so 
.  wonderfully  affected  with  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel, 
in  the  time  of  those  famous  divines,  Farel  and  Viret,  that 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  129 

for  a  time  they  could  not  follow  their  secular  business ; 
and  p.  186,  of  many  in  Ireland,  in  a  time  of  the  great 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit  there,  in  the  year  1628,  that 
were  so  filled  with  divine  comforts  and  a  sense  of  God, 
that  they  made  but  little  use  of  either  meat,  drink,  or 
sleep,  and  professed  that  they  did  not  feel  the  need 
thereof.  The  same  author  gives  an  account  of  very  much 
Buch  things  in  Mrs.  Catherine  Brettergh,  of  Lancashire, 
in  England  (p.  391,  392,)  as  have  been  complained  of, 
here  amongst  us,  as  wild  and  distracted  :  how  that  after 
great  distress,  which  very  much  affected  her  body,  the 
sweat  sometimes  bursting  out  upon  her,  God  did  so  break 
in  upon  her  mind  with  light  and  discoveries  of  himself, 
that  she  was  forced  to  burst  out  crying,  "  O  the  joys, 
the  joys,  the  joys  that  I  feel  in  my  soul !  O  they  be 
wonderful,  they  be  wonderful !  The  place  where  I  now 
am  is  sweet  and  pleasant !  How  comfortable  is  the  sweet- 
ness I  feel  that  delights  my  soul !  The  taste  is  precious  ; 
do  you  not  feel  it  1  Oh  so  sweet  as  it  is  !"  And  at  other 
times,  **  O  my  sweet  Savior,  shall  I  be  one  with  thee,  as 
thou  art  one  with  the  Father  1  And  dost  thou  so  love  me 
that  am  but  dust,  to  make  me  partaker  of  glory  with 
Christ  1  O  how  wonderful  is  thy  love  !  And  oh  that  my 
tongue  and  heart  were  able  to  sound  forth  thy  prais- 
es as  I  ought."  At  another  time  slie  burst  forth  thus  : 
*'  Yea,  Lord,  I  feel  thy  mercy,  and  am  assured  of  thy 
love  !  And  so  certain  am  I  thereof,  as  thou  art  the  God 
of  truth  :  even  so  certainly  do  I  know  myself  to  be  thine, 
O  Lord  my  God  ;  and  this  my  soul  knoweth  right  well !" 
Which  last  words  she  again  repeated.  To  a  grave  min- 
ister, one  Mr.  Harrison,  then  with  her,  she  said,  "  My 
soul  hath  been  compassed  with  the  terrors  of  death,  the 

6* 


.130  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

sorrow^s  of  hell  were  upon  me,  and  a  v\^ilderness  of  wo 
was  in  me ;  but  blessed,  blessed,  blessed  be  the  Lord 
my  God !  he  hath  brought  me  to  a  place  of  rest,  even  to 
the  sweet  running  waters  of  life.  The  way  I  now  go  in 
is  a  sweet  and  easy  way,  strewed  with  flowers  ;  he  hath 
brought  me  into  a  place  more  sweet  than  the  garden  of 
Eden.  O  the  joy,  the  joy,  the  delights  and  joy  that  I 
feel !    O  how  wonderful !" 

Great  outcries  under  awakenings  were  more  fre- 
quently heard  of  in  former  times  in  this  country  than 
they  have  been  of  late,  as  some  aged  persons  now  liv- 
ing do  testify  :  particularly  I  think  fit  here  to  insert  a 
testimony  of  my  honored  father,  Rev.  Timothy  Edwards, 
written  at  Windsor,  Connecticut,  May  5,  1742,  of 
what  he  remembers  formerly  to  have  heard.    He  says, 

"  I  well  remember  that  one  Mr.  Alexander  Allyn,  a 
Scotch  gentleman  of  good  credit,  that  dwelt  formerly  in 
this  town,  showed  me  a  letter  that  came  from  Scotland 
that  gave  an  account  of  a  sermon  preached  in  the  city  of 
Edinburgh  (as  I  remember)  in  the  time  of  the  sitting  of 
the  general  assembly  of  divines  in  that  kingdom,  that  so 
affected  the  people,  that  there  was  a  great  and  loud  cry 
made  throughout  the  assembly.  I  have  also  been  credi- 
bly informed,  and  how  often  I  cannot  now  say,  that  it 
was  a  common  thing,  when  the  famous  Mr.  John  Rogers, 
of  Dedham,  in  England,  was  preaching,  for  some  of  his 
hearers  to  cry  out ;  and  by  what  I  have  heard,  I  conclude 
that  it  was  usual  for  many  that  heard  that  very  awaken- 
ing and  rousing  preacher  of  God's  word  to  make  a  great 
cry  in  the  congregation." 

Mr.  Flavel  gives  a  remarkable  instance  of  a  man  that 
he  knew,  who  was   wonderfully  overcome  with  divine 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  131 

comforts  ;  which  it  is  supposed  he  knew,  as  the  apostle 
Paul  knew  the  man  that  was  caught  up  to  the  third  hea- 
ven.    He  relates,  that 

"  As  the  person  was  travelling  alone,  with  his  thoughts 
closely  fixed  on  the  great  and  astonishing  things  of  another 
world,  his  thoughts  began  to  swell  higher  and  higher, 
like  the  water  in  Ezekiel's  vision,  until  at  last  they  be- 
came an  overflowing  flood  :  such  was  the  intenseness  of 
his  mind,  such  the  ravishing  tastes  of  heavenly  joys,  and 
such  his  full  assurance  of  his  interest  therein,  that  he  ut- 
terly lost  all  sight  and  sense  of  this  world,  and  the  con- 
cernments thereof;  and  for  some  hours  knew  not  where 
he  was  nor  what  he  was  about :  but  having  lost  a  great 
quantity  of  blood  at  the  nose,  he  found  himself  so  faint 
that  it  brought  him  a  little  more  to  himself.  And  after  he 
had  washed  himself  at  a  spring,  and  drank  of  the  water 
for  his  refreshment,  he  continued  to  the  end  of  his  jour- 
ney, which  was  thirty  miles ;  and  all  this  while  was 
scarcely  sensible  :  and  says  he  had  several  trances  of 
considerable  continuance.  The  same  blessed  frame  was 
preserved  all  that  night,  and  in  a  lower  degree  a  great 
part  of  the  next  day  :  the  night  passed  without  one  wink 
of  sleep  ;  and  yet  he  declares  he  never  had  a  sweeter 
night's  rest  in  all  his  life.  Still  the  joy  of  the  Lord  over- 
flowed him,  and  he  seemed  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  another 
world.  And  he  used  for  many  years  after  to  call  that  day 
one  of  the  days  of  heaven ;  and  professed  that  he  under- 
stood more  of  the  life  of  heaven  by  it  than  by  all  the  books 
he  ever  read  or  discourses  he  ever  entertained  about  it." 

There  have  been  instances  before  now  of  persons  cry- 
ing out  in  transports  of  divine  joy  in  New  England.  We 
have  one  in  Capt,  Clap's  memoirs,  published  by  the  Rev. 


132  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

Mr.  Prince,  not  of  a  silly  woman  or  child,  but  a  man  of 
solid  understanding,  that  in  a  high  transport  of  spiritual 
joy  was  made  to  cry  out  aloud  on  his  bed.  His  words 
are,  page  9,  "  God's  Holy  Spirit  did  witness  (I  do  be- 
lieve) together  with  my  spirit,  that  I  was  a  child  of  God, 
and  did  fill  my  heart  and  soul  with  such  full  assurance 
that  Christ  was  mine,  that  it  did  so  transport  me  as  to 
make  me  cry  out  upon  my  bed  with  a  loud  voice.  He  is 
come,  He  is  come  .'" 

There  has,  before  now,  been  both  crying  out  and  fall- 
ing down  in  this  town,  under  awakenings  of  conscience 
and  in  the  pangs  of  the  new  birth,  and  also  in  some  of 
the  neighboring  towns.  In  one  of  them,  more  than  seven 
years  ago,  was  a  great  number  together  that  cried  out 
and  fell  down  under  convictions ;  in  most  of  which,  by 
good  information,  was  a  hopeful  and  abiding  good  issue. 
And  the  Rev.  Mr.  Williams,  of  Deerfield,  gave  me  an  ac- 
count of  an  aged  man  in  that  town,  many  years  before, 
who  being  awakened  by  his  preaching  cried  out  aloud  in 
the  congregation.  There  have  been  many  instances  in 
this  and  some  neighboring  towns  before  now,  of  persons 
fainting  with  joyful  discoveries  made  to  their  souls  :  once 
several  together  in  this  town.  And  there  also  formerly 
have  been  several  instances  here  of  persons'  flesh  waxing 
cold  and  benumbed  and  their  hands  being  clenched,  yea, 
their  bodies  being  set  into  convulsions,  being  overpower- 
ed with  a  strong  sense  of  the  astonishingly  great  and  ex- 
cellent things  of  God  and  the  eternal  world. 

Secondly.  Another  way  that  some  err  in  makincr  history 
and  former  observation  their  rule  to  judge  of  this  work 
instead  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  is  in  coinparing  some  exter- 
nal, accidental  c'rcumstances  of  this  icorli  with  what  has  ap- 


IN    NEW-ENGLAND.  133 

peared  sometimes  i?i  enthusiasts  ;  and  as  they  find  an  agi'ee- 
ment  in  some  such  things,  so  they  reject  the  whole  work, 
or  at  least  the  substance  of  it,  concluding  it  to  be  enthusi- 
asm. So  great  use  has  been  made  to  this  purpose  of  many 
things  that  are  found  amongst  some  fanatics  among  us, 
however  totally  and  essentially  different  in  its  nature  this 
work  is,  and  the  principles  it  is  built  upon,  from  all  that 
they  profess.  So,  to  the  same  purpose,  some  external  ap- 
pearances that  were  found  amongst  the  French  prophets, 
and  some  other  enthusiasts  in  former  times,  have  been  of 
late  trumped  up  with  great  assurance  and  triumph. 

4.  I  would  propose  it  to  be  considered,  whether  some, 
instead  of  making  the  Scriptures  their  only  rule  to  judge 
of  this  work,  do  not  make  tJieir  own  experience  the  rule, 
and  reject  such  and  such  things  as  are  now  professed  and 
experienced,  because  they  never  felt  them  themselves. 
Are  there  not  many  that  chiefly  on  this  ground  have  en- 
tertained and  vented  suspicions,  if  not  peremptory  con- 
demnations of  those  extreme  terrors,  and  those  great, 
sudden  and  extraordinary  discoveries  of  the  glorious  per- 
fections of  God  and  of  the  beauty  and  love  of  Christ, 
and  such  vehement  affections,  such  high  transports  of 
love  and  joy,  such  pity  and  distress  for  the  souls  of  others, 
and  exercises  of  mind  that  have  produced  great  effects 
on  persons'  bodies, — I  say,  have^  they  not  condemned 
these  things  merely  or  chiefly  because  they  knew  nothing 
about  them  by  experience  1  Persons  are  very  ready  to 
be  suspicious  of  what  they  have  not  felt  themselves.  It  is 
to  be  feared  many  good  men  have  been  guilty  of  this 
error ;  which  yet  does  not  make  it  the  less  unreasonable. 
And  perhaps  there  are  some  that  upon  this  ground  do 
not  only  reject  these  extraordinary  things,  but  all  such 


134  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

conviction  of  sin,  and  such  discoveries  of  the  glory  of 
God  and  the  excellency  of  Christ,  and  the  inward  convic- 
tion of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel  by  the  immediate  influ- 
ence of  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  now  supposed  to  be  neces- 
sary to  salvation. 

These  persons  that  thus  make  their  own  experiences 
their  rule  of  judgment,  instead  of  bowing  to  the  wisdom 
of  God  and  yielding  to  his  word  as  an  infallible  rule,  are 
guilty  of  casting  a  great  reflection  upon  the  understand- 
ing of  the  Most  High. 

3.  Error  in  rejecting  the  work  as  a  whole  on  account  of  in- 
cidental defects  iii  it. 
Another  foundation  error  of  those  that  reject  this  work, 
is  their  not  duly  distinguishing  the  good  from  the  had,  and 
very  unjustly  judging  of  the  whole  hy  a  part ;  and  so  re- 
jecting the  work  in  general  or  in  the  main  substance  of 
it,  for  the  sake  of  some  things  accidental  to  it  that  are 
evil.  They  look  for  more  in  men  that  are  divinely  influ- 
enced, because  subject  to  the  operations  of  a  good  Spirit, 
than  is  justly  to  be  expected  from  them  for  that  reason  in 
this  imperfect  state  and  dark  world  where  so  much  blind- 
ness and  corruption  remain  in  the  best.  When  any  pro- 
fess to  have  received  light  and  influence  and  comfort  from 
heaven,  and  to  have  had  sensible  communion  with  God, 
many  are  ready  to  expect  that  now  they  appear  like 
angels,  and  not  still  like  poor,  feeble,  blind  and  sinful 
worms  of  the  dust.  There  being  so  much  corruption  left 
in  the  hearts  of  God's  own  children,  and  its  prevailing  as 
it  sometimes  does,  is  indeed  a  mysterious  thing,  and  al- 
ways a  stumbling-block  to  the  world  ;  but  it  will  not  be 
so  much  wondered  at  by  those  that  are  well  versed  in  and 
duly  mindful  of  two  things  :   1,  the  word  of  God,  which 


IN    NEW   ENGLAND.  135 

teaches  us  the  state  of  true  christiaus  in  this  world,  and 
2,  their  own  hearts,  at  least  if  they  have  any  grace,  and 
have  experience  of  its  conflicts  with  corruption.  They 
that  are  true  saints  are  most  inexcusable  in  making  a 
great  difficulty  of  a  great  deal  of  blindness  and  many 
sinful  errors  in  those  that  profess  godliness.  If  all  our 
conduct,  both  open  and  secret,  should  be  known,  and  our 
hearts  laid  open  to  the  world,  how  should  we  be  even 
ready  to  fly  from  the  light  of  the  sun  and  hide  ourselves 
from  the  view  of  mankind  !  And  what  greater  allowan- 
ces would  it  be  found  that  we  should  need  that  others 
should  make  for  us  1  perhaps  much  greater  than  we  are 
willing  to  make  for  others. 

The  great  weakness  of  the  larger  part  of  mankind,  in 
any  matter  that  is  new  and  uncommon,  appears  in  not 
distinguishing,  but  either  approving  or  condemning  all  in 
the  lump.  They  tKat  highly  approve  of  the  thing  in  ge- 
neral, cannot  bear  to  have  any  thing  at  all  found  fault 
with  ;  and  on  the  other  hand,  those  that  fasten  their  eyes 
upon  some  things  in  it  that  are  amiss  and  appear  very 
disagreeable  to  them,  at  once  reject  the  whole.  Both 
which  errors  oftentimes  arise  from  want  of  persons'  due 
acquaintance  with  themselves.  It  is  rash  and  unjust 
when  we  proceed  thus  in  judging  either  of  a  particular 
person  or  a  people,  or  of  such  a  work  as  the  present 
wonderful  influence  on  the  minds  of  the  people  of  this 
land.  Many,  if  they  see  any  thing  very  ill  in  a  particular 
person,  a  minister  or  private  professor,  will  at  once  brand 
him  as  a  hypocrite.  And  if  there  be  two  or  three  of  a 
people  or  society  that  behave  themselves  very  irregularly, 
the  whole  must  bear  the  blame  of  it.  And  if  there  be  a 
few,  though  not  above  one  in  a  hundred,  that  professed 


136  REVIVAL    OP   RELIGION 

and  had  a  sliow  of  being  the  happy  partakers  of  what  are 
called  the  saving  benefits  of  this  work,  who  prove  naught, 
and  give  the  world  just  grounds  to  suspect  them,  the 
whole  work  must  be  rejected  on  their  account ;  and  those 
in  general  that  make  the  like  profession  must  be  con- 
demned for  their  sakes. 

So  careful  are  some  persons  lest  this  work  should  be 
defended,  that  now  they  will  hardly  allow  that  the  influ- 
ences of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the  heart  can  so  much 
as  indirectly  and  accidentally  be  the  occasion  of  the  exer- 
cise of  corruption,  and  commission  of  sin.  Thus  far  is 
true,  that  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  his  saving 
operations,  will  not  be  an  occasion  of  the  increase  of  the 
corruption  of  the  heart  in  general,  but  on  the  contrary, 
of  the  weakening  of  it :  but  yet  there  is  nothing  unrea- 
sonable in  supposing,  that  at  the  same  time  that  it  weak- 
ens corruption  in  general,  it  may  be  an  occasion  of  turn- 
ing what  is  left  into  a  new  channel,  and  so  of  there  being 
more  of  some  certain  kinds  of  the  exercise  of  corruption 
than  there  was  before  ;  as  that  which  tends  to  hinder 
and  stop  the  course  of  a  stream,  if  it  does  not  do  it 
wholly,  may  give  a  new  course  to  so  much  of  the  water 
as  gets  by  the  obstacle.  The  influences  of  the  Spirit,  for 
instance,  may  be  an  occasion  of  new  ways  of  the  exer- 
cise of  pi'idc,  as  has  been  acknowledged  by  orthodox  di- 
vines in  general.  That  spiritual  discoveries  and  comforts 
may,  through  the  corruption  of  the  heart,  be  an  occasion 
of  the  exercise  of  spiritual  pride  did  not  use  to  be  doubt- 
ed of,  until  now  it  is  found  to  be  needful  to  maintain  the 
war  against  this  work. 

'  They  that  will  hardly  allow  that  a  work  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  can  be  a  remote  occasion  of  any  sinful  behavior 


IN   NEW    ENGLAND.  137 

or  unchristian  conduct,  I  suppose  will  allow  that  the 
truly  gracious  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  yea,  and  a 
high  degree  of  love  to  God,  is  consistent  with  these  two 
things,  namely,  a  considerable  degree  of  remaining  cor- 
ruption, and  also  many  errors  in  judgment  in  matters  of 
religion  and  in  matters  of  practice.  And  this  is  all  that 
need  to  be  allowed,  in  order  to  its  being  most  demonstra- 
tively evident  that  a  high  degree  of  love  to  God  may  ac- 
cidentally move  a  person  to  that  which  is  very  wrong 
and  contrary  to  the  mind  and  will  of  God.  For  a  high 
degree  of  love  to  God  will  strongly  move  a  person  to  do 
that  which  he  beUeves  to  be  agreeable  to  God's  will ; 
and  therefore,  if  he  be  mistaken,  and  be  persuaded  that 
that  is  agreeable  to  the  will  of  God  which  indeed  is  very 
contrary  to  it,  then  his  love  will  accidentally,  but  strong- 
ly, incline  him  to  that  which  is  indeed  very  contrary  to 
the  will  of  God. 

They  that  are  studied  in  logic  have  learned  that  the 
nature  of  the  cause  is  not  to  be  judged  of  by  the  nature 
of  the  effect,  nor  the  nature  of  the  effect  from  the  nature 
of  the  cause,  when  the  cause  is  only  causa  sine  qua  non, 
or  an  occasional  cause ;  yea,  that  in  such  a  case  often- 
times the  nature  of  the  effect  is  quite  contrary  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  cause. 

True  disciples  of  Christ  may  have  a  great  deal  of  false 
zeal,  such  as  the  disciples  had  of  old  when  they  would 
have  fire  called  from  heaven  to  come  down  on  the  Sama- 
ritans because  they  did  not  receive  them.  And  even  so 
eminently  holy,  and  great,  and  divine  a  saint  as  Moses, 
who  conversed  with  God  from  time  to  time  as  a  man 
speaks  with  his  fi'iend,  and  concerning  whom  God  gives 
his  testimony  that  he  was  very  meek,  above  any  man  on  the 


138  RETIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

face  of  tlie  earth,  yet  may  be  rash  and  sinful  in  his  zeal 
when  his  spirit  is  stirred  by  the  hard-heartcdness  and 
opposition  of  others,  so  as  to  speak  very  unadvisedly  with 
his  lips  and  greatly  to  offend  God,  and  shut  himself  out 
from  the  possession  of  the  good  things  that  God  is  about 
to  accomplish  for  his  church  on  earth  ;  as  Moses  was 
excluded  Canaan,  though  he  had  brought  the  people  out 
of  Egypt,  Psalm  106  :  32,  33.  And  men,  even  in  those 
very  things  wherein  they  are  influenced  by  a  truly  pious 
principle,  yet,  through  error  and  want  of  due  considera- 
tion and  caution,  may  be  very  rash  with  their  zeal.  It 
was  a  truly  good  spirit  that  animated  the  excellent  gene- 
ration of  Israel  in  Joshua's  time,  in  the  proceedings  we 
have  an  account  of  in  the  22d  chapter  of  Joshua ;  and 
yet  they  were  rash  and  heady  with  their  zeal,  to  go  about 
to  gather  all  Israel  together  to  go  up  so  furiously  to  war 
with  their  brethren  of  the  two  tribes  and  a  half,  about 
their  building  the  altar  Ed,  without  first  inquiring  into 
the  matter,  or  so  much  as  sending  a  messenger  to  be  in- 
formed. So  the  christians  that  were  of  the  circumcision, 
with  warmth  and  contention  condemned  Peter  for  re- 
ceiving Cornelius,  as  we  have  account.  Acts  11.  This 
their  heat  and  censure  was  unjust,  and  Peter  was  wrong- 
ed in  it ;  but  there  is  all  appearance  in  the  story  that 
they  acted  from  a  real  zeal  and  concern  for  the  will  and 
honor  of  God.  So  the  primitive  christians,  from  their 
zeal  for  and  against  unclean  meats,  censured  and  con- 
demned one  another  :  this  was  a  bad  effect,  and  yet  the 
apostle  bears  thera  witness,  or  at  least  expresses  his  cha- 
rity towards  them,  that  both  sides  acted  from  a  good 
principle  and  true  respect  to  the  Lord.  Rom.  14  :  6.  The 
zeal  of  the  Corinthians  with  respect  to  the  incestuous 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  139 

man,  though  the  apostle  highly  commends  it,  was  yet 
such  that  at  the  same  time  he  saw  that  they  needed  a 
caution,  lest  they  should  carry  it  too  far  to  an  undue  se- 
verity, and  so  as  to  fail  of  christian  meekness  and  for- 
giveness, 2  Corinthians  2  :  6 — 11,  and  chap.  7  :  11,  to 
the  end.  Luther,  that  great  Reformer,  had  a  gi'eat  deal 
of  bitterness  with  his  zeal. 

It  surely  cannot  be  wondered  at  by  considerate  per- 
sons, that  at  a  time  when  multitudes  all  over  the  land 
have  their  affections  greatly  moved,  great  numbers  should 
run  into  many  errors  and  mistakes  with  respect  to  their 
duty,  and  consequently  into  many  acts  and  practices  that 
are  imprudent  and  irregular.  I  question  whether  there  be 
a  man  in  New  England  of  the  strongest  reason  and  great- 
est learning,  but  would  be  tried  to  keep  master  of  him- 
self, thoroughly  to  weigh  his  words  and  consider  all  the 
consequences  of  his  behavior,  so  as  to  conduct  himself 
in  all  respects  prudently,  if  he  were  so  strongly  impress- 
ed with  a  sense  of  divine  and  eternal  things,  and  his  af- 
fections so  exceedingly  moved  as  has  been  frequent  of 
late  among  the  common  people.  How  little  do  they  con- 
sider human  nature  who  look  upon  it  as  so  insuperable  a 
stumbling-block,  when  such  multitudes  of  all  kinds  of 
capacities,  natural  tempers,  educations,  customs  and  man- 
ners of  life  are  so  greatly  and  variously  affected,  that 
imprudences  and  irregularities  of  conduct  should  abound, 
especially  in  a  state  of  things  so  uncommon,  and  when 
the  degree,  extent,  swiftness  and  power  of  the  operation 
is  so  very  extraordinary  and  so  new  that  there  has  not 
been  time  and  experience  enough  to  give  birth  to  rules 
for  people's  conduct,  and  so  unusual  in  times  past,  that 
.the  writings  of  divines  do  not  afford  rules  to  direct  us  in 
such  a  state  of  things  ? 


140  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

A  great  deal  of  noise  and  tumult,  confusion  and  up- 
roar, and  darkness  mixed  with  light,  and  evil  with  good, 
is  always  to  be  expected  in  the  beginning  of  something 
very  extraordinary  and  very  glorious  in  the  state  of  things 
in  human  society  or  the  church  of  God  :  as  after  nature 
has  long  been  shut  up  in  a  cold  dead  state  in  time  of  win- 
ter, when  the  sun  returns  in  the  spring,  there  is,  together 
with  the  increase  of  the  light  and  heat  of  the  sun,  very 
unpleasant  and  tempestuous  weather  before  all  is  settled 
calm  and  serene,  and  all  nature  rejoices  in  its  bloom  and 
beauty.  It  is  in  the  new  creation  as  it  was  in  the  old,  the 
Spirit  of  God  first  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters, 
which  was  an  occasion  of  great  uproar  and  tumult,  and 
things  were  gradually  brought  to  a  settled  state,  until  at 
length  all  stood  forth  in  beautiful  peaceful  order,  when 
the  heavens  and  the  earth  were  finished,  and  God  saw 
every  thing  that  he  had  made,  and  behold  it  was  very 
good.  When  God  is  about  to  bring  to  pass  something 
great  and  glorious  in  the  world,  nature  is  in  a  ferment 
and  struggle,  and  the  world,  as  it  were,  in  travail.  As 
when  God  was  about  to  introduce  the  Messiah  into  the 
world,  and  that  new  and  glorious  dispensation  that  he 
set  up,  he  shook  tlie  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  shook  all 
natio7is.  There  is  nothing  that  the  church  of  God  is  in 
Scripture  more  frequently  represented  by  than  the  tree, 
the  vine,  corn,  &c.  which  gradually  bring  forth  their  fruit, 
and  are  first  green  before  they  are  ripe.  A  great  revival 
of  religion  is  expressly  compared  to  this  gradual  produc- 
tion of  vegetation,  Isaiah,  61  :  11  ;  "As  the  earth  bring- 
eth  forth  her  bud,  and  as  the  garden  causeth  the  things 
that  are  sown  in  it  to  spring  forth,  so  the  Lord  God  will 
cause  righteousness  and  praise  to  spring  forth  before  all 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  141 

the  nations."  The  church  is  in  a  special  manner  com- 
pared to  a  palm-tree.  Cant.  7:7,  8  ;  Exod.  15  :  27  ;  1 
Kings,  6  :  29 ;  Psalm  92  :  12.  Of  which  tree  this  peculiar 
thing  is  observed,  that  the  fruit  of  it,  though  it  be  very- 
sweet  and  good  when  it  is  ripe,  yet  before  it  has  had  time 
to  ripen  has  a  mixture  of  poison. 

The  weakness  of  human  nature  has  always  appeared, 
in  times  of  the  great  revival  of  religion,  by  a  dispositiov.i 
to  run  to  extremes  and  get  into  confusion ;  and  especially 
in  these  three  things,  enthusiasm,  superstition,  and  intem- 
perate zeal.  So  it  appeared  in  the  time  of  the  Reforma- 
tion very  remarkably;  and  also  in  the  days  of  the  apos- 
tles :  many  were  then  exceedingly  disposed  to  lay  weight 
on  those  things  that  were  very  notional  and  chimerical, 
giving  heed  to  fables  and  whimsies,  as  appears  by  1  Tim. 
1  :  4,  and  4  :  7;  2  Tim.  2  :  16,  and  ver.  23,  and  Tit.  1 :  14, 
and  3  :  9.  Many,  as  ecclesiastical  history  informs  us,  fell 
off  into  the  most  wild  enthusiasm  and  extravagant  no- 
tions of  spirituality  and  extraordinary  illumination  from 
heaven  beyond  others;  and  many  were  prone  to  super- 
stition, will  worship,  and  a  voluntary  humility,  giving 
heed  to  the  commandments  of  men,  being  fond  of  an  un- 
profitable bodily  exercise,  as  appears  by  many  passages 
in  the  apostles'  writings  :  and  what  a  proneness  then  ap- 
peared among  professors  to  swerve  from  the  path  of  duty 
and  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  in  the  exercise  of  a  rash,  in- 
discreet zeal,  censuring  and  condemning  ministers  and 
people ;  one  saying,  I  am  of  Paul ;  another,  I  of  Apol- 
los ;  another,  I  of  Cephas:  judging  one  another  for  dif- 
ferences of  opinion  about  smaller  matters,  unclean  meats, 
holy  days  and  holy  places,  and  their  different  opinions 
and  practices  rcvspecting  civil  intercourse  and  communi- 


142  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

cation  with  their  heathen  neighbors  1  And  how  much 
did  vain  jangling,  and  disputing,  and  confusion  prevail 
through  undue  heat  of  spirit  under  the  name  of  a  reli- 
gious zeal  1  2  Tim.  6  :  4,  5  ;  2  Tim.  2  :  16,  and  Tit.  3  : 
9.  And  what  a  task  had  the  apostles  to  keep  them  within 
bounds,  and  maintain  good  order  in  the  churches  !  How 
often  are  they  mentioning  their  irregularities  ! 

The  prevailing  of  such  disorders  seems  to  have  been  the 
special  occasion  of  writing  many  of  their  Epistles.  The 
church,  in  the  great  effusion  of  the  Spirit  at  that  time,  and 
the  strong  impressions  that  God's  people  were  then  under, 
was  under  the  care  of  infallible  guides  that  watched  over 
them  day  and  night ;  but  yet  so  prone  were  they,  through 
the  weakness  and  corruption  of  human  nature,  to  get  out 
of  the  way,  that  irregularity  and  confusion  rose  in  some 
churches,  where  there  was  an  extraordinary  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit,  to  a  very  great  height,  even  in  the  apostles* 
lifetime,  and  under  their  eye.  And  though  some  of  the 
apostles  lived  long  to  settle  the  state  of  things,  yet  pre- 
sently after  they  were  dead  the  christian  church  ran  into 
many  superstitions  and  childish  notions  and  practices, 
and  in  some  respects  into  a  great  severity  in  their  zeal. 

And  let  any  wise  person  that  has  not,  in  the  midst  of 
the  disputes  of  the  present  day,  got  beyond  the  calm- 
ness of  consideration,  impartially  consider  to  what  lengths 
we  may  reasonably  suppose  many  of  the  primitive  chris- 
tians, in  their  heat  of  zeal,  and  under  their  extraordinary 
impressions,  would  soon  have  gone  if  they  had  had  no 
inspired  guides  ;  and  whether  it  is  not  probable  that  the 
church  of  Corinth,  in  particular,  by  an  increase  of  their 
irregularities  and  contentions,  would  not  in  a  little  time 
have  broke  to  pieces  and  dissolved  in  a  state  of  the  ut- 


IN    NEW-ENGLAND.  143 

most  confusion  1  And  yet  this  would  have  been  no  evi- 
dence that  there  had  not  been  a  most  glorious  and  re- 
markable outpouring  of  the  Spirit  in  that  city.  But,  as 
for  us,  we  have  no  infallible  apostle  to  guide  us,  to  rec- 
tify disorders,  and  reclaim  us  when  we  are  wandering ; 
but  every  one  does  what  is  right  in  his  own  eyes  ;  and 
they  that  err  in  judgment,  and  are  got  into  a  WTong  path, 
continue  to  wander  till  experience  of  the  mischievous 
issue  convinces  them  of  their  error. 

If  we  look  at  this  work,  and  seriously  weigh  it  in  its 
circumstances,  it  will  appear  a  matter  of  no  great  difficul- 
ty to  account  for  the  errors  that  have  occurred,  supposing 
the  work  in  general  to  be  from  a  very  great  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  of  God.  It  may  easily  be  accounted  for,  that 
many  have  run  into  great  errors,  and  into  just  such  errors 
as  they  have.  It  is  known  that  some  that  have  been  em- 
ployed as  great  instruments  to  promote  this  work,  have 
been  very  young ;  and  how  natural  is  it  for  such  as  are 
themselves  newly  awaked  out  of  sleep,  and  brought  out 
of  that  state  of  darkness,  insensibility  and  spiritual  death 
which  they  had  been  in  ever  since  they  were  born ;  and 
have  a  new  and  wonderful  scene  opened  to  them ;  and 
have  in  view  the  reality,  the  vastness  and  infinite  im- 
portance and  nearness  of  spiritual  and  eternal  things  : 
and  at  the  same  time  are  surprised  to  see  the  world  asleep 
about  them ;  and  have  not  the  advantage  of  age  and  ex- 
perience, and  have  had  but  little  opportunity  to  study  di- 
vinity, or  to  converse  with  aged  experienced  christians 
and  divines — I  say,  how  natural  is  it  for  such  to  fall  into 
many  errors  with  respect  to  the  state  of  mankind  with 
which  they  are  so  surprised,  and  with  respect  to  the 
means  and  methods  of  their  relief?    Is  it  any  wonder 


144  REVIVAL    UF    RELIGION 

that  they  have  not  at  once  learned  how  to  make  all  the 
allowances  that  are  to  be  made,  and  that  they  do  not  at 
once  find  out  that  method  of  dealing  with  the  world  that 
is  adapted  to  the  mysterious  state  and  nature  of  mankind  *? 
Is  it  any  wonder  that  they  cannot  at  once  foresee  what 
ths  consequences  of  things  will  be,  what  evils  are  to  be 
guarded  against,  and  what  difficulties  are  like,  to  arise 
that  are  to  be  provided  for  ] 

"We  have  long  been  in  a  strange  stupor ;  the  influences 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon  the  heart  have  been  but  little 
felt,  and  the  nature  of  them  but  little  taught ;  so  that  they 
are  in  many  respects  new  to  great  numbers  of  those  that 
have  lately  fallen  under  them.  And  is  it  any  wonder  that 
they,  who  never  before  had  experience  of  the  supernatu- 
ral influence  of  the  divine  Spirit  upon  their  souls,  and 
never  were  instructed  in  the  nature  of  these  influences, 
do  not  so  well  know  how  to  distinguish  one  extraordinary 
new  impression  from  another,  and  so  (to  themselves  in- 
sensibly) run  into  enthusiasm,  taking  every  strong  im- 
pulse or  impression  to  be  divine  1  How  natural  is  it  to 
suppose  that,  among  the  multitudes  of  illiterate  people 
(most  of  which  are  in  their  youth)  who  find  themselves  so 
wonderfully  changed,  and  brought  into  such  new  and 
before  (to  them)  almost  unheard  of  circumstances,  many 
should  pass  wrong  and  very  strange  judgments  of  both 
persons  and  things  that  are  about  them ;  and  that,  now 
they  behold  them  in  such  a  new  light,  they  in  their  sur- 
prise should  go  further  from  the  judgment  that  they  were 
wont  to  make  of  them  than  they  ought,  and  in  their  great 
change  of  sentiments  should  pass  from  one  extreme  to 
•another]  And  why  should  it  be  thought  strange,  that 
those  that  scarce  ever  heard  of  any  such  thing  as  an  out- 


IN   NEW    ENGLAND.  145 

pouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God  before  j  or  if  they  did,  had 
no  correct  idea  of  it ;  do  not  know  how  to  behave  them- 
selves in  such  a  new  and  strange  state  of  things  1  And  is 
it  any  wonder  that  they  are  ready  to  hearken  to  those 
that  have  instructed  them,  that  have  been  the  means  of 
delivering  them  from  such  a  state  of  death  and  misery  as 
they  were  in  before,  or  have  a  name  for  being  the  happy 
instruments  of  promoting  the  same  work  among  others  ? 
Is  it  unaccountable  that  persons  in  these  circumstances 
are  ready  to  receive  every  thing  they  say,  and  to  drink 
down  error  as  well  as  truth  from  them  ]  And  why  should 
there  be  all  indignation  and  no  compassion  towards  those 
that  are  thus  misled  1 

When  these  persons  are  extraordinarily  affected  with 
a  new  sense  and  recent  discovery  they  have  received  of 
the  greatness  and  excellency  of  the  divine  Being,  the  cer- 
tainty and  infinite  importance  of  eternal  things,  the  pre- 
ciousness  of  souls,  and  the  dreadful  danger  and  madness 
of  mankind,  together  with  a  great  sense  of  God's  distin- 
guishing kindness  and  love  to  them  ;  no  wonder  that  now 
they  think  they  must  exert  themselves  and  do  something 
extraordinary  for  the  honor  of  God  and  the  good  of  the 
souls  of  their  fellow-creatures,  and  know  not  how  to  sit 
still  and  forbear  speaking  and  acting  with  uncommon 
earnestness  and  vigor.  And  in  these  circumstances,  if 
they  be  not  persons  of  more  than  common  steadiness 
and  discretion,  or  have  not  some  person  of  wisdom  to 
direct  them,  it  is  a  wonder  if  they  do  not  proceed  with- 
out due  caution,  and  do  things  that  are  irregular,  and 
that  will,  in  the  issue,  do  much  more  hurt  than  good. 

Censuring  others  is  the  worst  disease  with  which  this 
work  has  been  attended :  but  yet  such  a  time  as  this  is 

Revival  of  Rel.  7 


146  REVIVAL    OP    RELIGfON 

indeed  a  time  of  great  temptation  to  tliis  sinful  error. 
When  there  has  been  such  a  time  of  great  and  long-con- 
tinued deadness,  and  many  are  brought  out  of  a  state  of 
nature  into  a  state  of  grace  in  so  extraordinary  a  manner, 
and  filled  with  such  uncommon  degi'ees  of  light,  it  is  na- 
tural for  such  to  form  their  notions  of  a  state  of  grace 
wholly  from  what  they  experience  :  many  of  them  know 
no  other  way;  for  they  never  have  been  taught  much 
about  a  state  of  grace,  and  the  different  degrees  of  grace, 
and  the  degrees  of  darkness  and  corruption  that  grace  is 
consistent  with,  nor  concerning  the  manner  of  the  influ- 
ences of  the  Spirit  in  converting  a  soul,  and  the  variety 
of  the  manner  of  his  operations  :  they  therefore  forming 
their  ideas  of  a  state  of  grace  only  by  their  own  experi- 
ence, no  wonder  that  it  appears  an  insuperable  difficulty 
to  them  to  reconcile  such  a  state,  of  w^hich  they  have  this 
idea,  with  what  they  obsei-^'e  in  professors  that  are  about 
them.  It  is  indeed  in  itself  a  very  great  mystery,  that 
grace  should  be  consistent  with  so  much  and  such  kind 
of  corruption  as  sometimes  prevails  in  the  truly  godly ; 
and  no  wonder  that  it  especially  appears  so  to  uninstruct- 
ed  new  converts,  that  have  been  converted  in  an  extraor- 
dinary manner. 

Though  censoriousness  is  very  sinful,  and  is  most  com- 
monly found  in  hypocrites  and  persons  of  a  pharisaical 
spirit,  yet  it  is  not  so  inconsistent  with  true  godliness  as 
some  imagine.  We  have  remarkable  instances  of  it  in 
those  holy  men  that  we  have  an  account  of  in  the  Book 
of  Job  :  not  only  were  Job's  three  friends,  that  seem  to 
have  been  eminently  holy  men,  guilty  of  it  in  very  unrea- 
sonably censuring  the  best  man  on  earth,  very  positively 
determining  that  he  was  an  unconverted  man ;  but  Job 


IN    NEW   ENGLAND.  147 

himself,  that  was  not  only  a  man  of  true  piety,  but  ex- 
celled all  men  in  piety,  and  particularly  excelled  in  a 
humble,  meek  and  patient  spirit,  was  guilty  of  bitterly 
censuring  his  three  friends,  as  wicked,  vile  hypocrites. 
Job,  16  :  9,  10,  11,  "  He  teareth  me  in  his  wrath  who 
hateth  me,  he  gnasheth  upon  me  with  his  teeth;  mine 
enemy  sharpeneth  his  eyes  upon  me  :  they  have  gaped 
upon  me  with  their  mouth.  God  hath  delivered  me  to  the 
ungodly  and  turned  me  over  into  the  hands  of  the  wick- 
ed." So  he  is  very  positive  in  it  that  they  are  hypocrites, 
and  shall  be  miserably  destroyed  as  such :  in  the  next  chap- 
ter, verses  2,3,  4:  "  Are  there  not  mockers  with  me  1  and 
doth  not  mine  eye  continue  in  their  provocation  1  Lay 
down  now,  put  me  in  surety  with  thee ;  who  is  he  that 
will  strike  hands  with  me  ]  For  thou  hast  hid  their  heart 
from  understanding  :  therefore  shalt  thou  not  exalt  them." 
And  again,  verses  8,  9,  10  :  "  Upright  men  shall  be  as- 
tonished at  this,  and  the  innocent  shall  stir  up  himself 
against  the  hypocrite  :  the  righteous  also  shall  hold  on  his 
way,  and  he  that  hath  clean  hands  shall  be  stronger  and 
stronger.  But  as  for  you  all,  do  ye  return  and  come 
now;  for  I  cannot  find  one  wise  man  (i.  e.  one  good  man) 
among  you." 

Thus  I  think  the  errors  and  irregularities  that  attend 
this  work  may  be  accounted  for  from  the  consideration 
of  the  infirmity,  and  weakness,  and  common  corruption 
of  mankind,  together  with  the  circumstances  of  the  work, 
though  we  should  suppose  it  to  be  the  work  of  God.  And 
it.  would  not  be  a  just  objection  in  any  to  say.  If  these 
powerful  impressions  and  great  affections  are  from  the 
Spirit  of  God,  w/ii/  does  7iot  the  same  Spirit  give  strength 
of  understanding  and  capacity  in  proportion  to  those  per 


148  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

sons  that  are  the  subjects  of  them,  so  that  strong  affec- 
tions may  not,  through  their  error,  drive  them  to  an  irre- 
gular and  sinful  conduct  1  for  I  do  not  know  that  God 
has  any  where  obliged  himself  to  do  it.  The  end  of  the 
influences  of  God's  Spirit  is  to  make  men  spiritually 
knowing,  wise  to  salvation,  which  is  the  most  excellent 
wisdom  ;  and  he  has  also  appointed  means  for  our  gain- 
ing such  degrees  of  other  knowledge  as  we  need  to  con- 
duct ourselves  regularly,  which  means  should  be  care- 
fully used  :  but  the  end  of  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  not  to  increase  men's  natural  capacities,  nor  has 
God  obliged  himself  immediately  to  increase  civil  pru- 
dence in  proportion  to  the  degrees  of  spiritual  light. 

If  we  consider  the  errors  that  attend  this  work,  not 
only  as  from  man  and  his  infirmity,  but  also  as  from  God, 
and  by  his  permission  and  disposal,  they  are  not  strange, 
upon  the  supposition  of  its  being,  as  to  the  substance  of 
it,  a  work  of  God.  If  God  intends  this  great  revival  of 
religion  to  be  the  dawning  or  a  forerunner  of  a  happy 
state  of  his  church  on  earth,  it  may  be  an  instance  of  the 
divine  wisdom  in  the  beginning  of  it  to  suffer  so  many 
irregularities  and  errors  in  conduct,  to  which  he  knew 
men  in  their  present  weak  state  were  most  exposed  un- 
der great  religious  affections,  and  when  animated  with 
great  zeal ;  for  it  will  be  very  likely  to  be  of  excellent 
benefit  to  his  church  in  the  continuance  and  progress  of 
the  work  afterwards  :  their  experience  in  the  first  setting 
out  of  the  mischievous  consequences  of  these  errors,  and 
smarting  for  them  in  the  beginning,  may  be  a  happy  de- 
fence to  them  afterwards  for  many  generations  from  these 
errors,  which  otherwise  they  might  continually  be  ex- 
posed to.    As  when  David  and  all  Israel  went  about  to 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  149 

bring  back  the  ark  into  the  midst  of  the  land,  after  it  had 
been  long  absent,  first  in  the  land  of  the  Philistines,  and 
then  in  Kirjathjearim  in  the  utmost  borders  of  the  land; 
they  at  first  sought  not  the  Lord  after  the  due  order,  and 
they  smarted  for  their  error;  but  this  put  them  upon 
studying  the  law,  and  more  thoroughly  acquainting  them- 
selves with  the  mind  and  will  of  God,  and  seeking  and 
serving  him  with  greater  circumspection,  and  the  conse- 
quence was  glorious  :  their  seeking  God  in  such  a  man- 
ner as  was  accepted  of  him ;  and  the  ark  of  God  ascend- 
ing into  the  heights  of  Zion  with  those  great  and  extra- 
ordinary rejoicings  of  the  king  and  all  the  people,  with- 
out any  frown  or  rebuke  from  God  intermixed ;  and 
God's  dwelling  thenceforth  in  the  midst  of  the  people,  to 
those  glorious  purposes  that  are  expressed  in  the  68th 
Psalm. 

And  it  is  very  analogous  to  the  manner  of  God's  deal- 
ing with  his  people,  to  permit  a  great  deal  of  error,  and 
suffer  the  infirmity  of  his  people  much  to  appear  in  the 
beginning  of  a  glorious  work  of  his  grace  for  their  feli- 
city, to  teach  them  what  they  are,  to  humble  them, 
and  fit  them  for  that  glorious  prosperity  he  is  about  to 
advance  them  to,  and  the  more  to  secure  to  himself  the 
honor  of  such  a  glorious  work ;  for  by  man's  exceeding 
weakness  appearing  in  the  beginning  of  it,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  God  does  not  lay  the  foundation  of  it  in  man's 
strength  or  wisdom. 

And  as  we  need  not  wonder  at  the  errors  that  attend 
this  work,  if  we  look  at  the  hand  of  men  that  are  guilty 
of  them,  and  the  hand  of  God  in  permitting  them,  so 
neither  shall  we  see  cause  to  wonder  at  them  if  we  con- 
gider  them  with  regard  to  the  hand  that   Satan  has  in 


150  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

them.  For  as  the  work  is  much  greater  than  any  other 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit  that  ever  has  been  in  New  Eng- 
land, so  no  wonder  that  the  devil  is  more  alarmed  and 
enraged,  and  exerts  himself  more  vigorously  against  it, 
and  does  more  powerfully  endeavor  to  tempt  and  mislead 
those  that  are  the  subjects  of  it,  or  are  its  promoters. 

4.    Evidence   that,  7iot withstanding  defects,  this  is  a  real 
work  of  God. 

Whatever  imprudences  there  have  been,  and  whatever 
sinful  irregularities  ;  whatever  vehemence  of  the  pas- 
sions and  heats  of  the  imagination,  transports  and  ecsta- 
sies ;  and  whatever  error  in  judgment,  and  indiscreet 
zeal ;  and  whatever  outcries,  and  faintings,  and  agita- 
tions of  body,  yet  it  is  manifest  and  notorious  that  there 
has  been  of  late  a  very  uncommon  influence  upon  the 
minds  of  a  very  great  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  New 
England  from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the  other,  that  has 
been  attended  with  the  following  effects :    namely, 

A  great  increase  of  a  spirit  of  seriousness  and  sober 
consideration  of  the  things  of  the  eternal  world  ;  a  dis- 
position to  hearken  to  any  thing  that  is  said  of  things  of 
this  nature  with  attention  and  affection ;  a  disposition  to 
treat  matters  of  religion  with  solemnity,  and  as  matters 
of  great  importance  ',  a  disposition  to  make  these  things 
the  subject  of  conversation ;  and  a  great  disposition  to 
hear  the  word  of  God  preached,  and  to  take  all  oppor- 
tunities in  order  to  it ;  and  to  attend  on  the  public  wor- 
ship of  God  and  all  external  duties  of  religion  in  a  more 
solemn  and  decent  manner ;  so  that  there  is  a  remarka- 
ble and  general  alteration  in  the  face  of  New  England 
in  these  respects.  Multitudes  in  all  parts  of  the  land,  of 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  151 

vain,  thoughtless  persons,  are  quite  changed,  and  become 
serious  and  considerate.  There  is  a  vast  increase  of  con- 
cern for  the  salvation  of  the  precious  soul,  and  of  that 
inquiry,  W/iai  shall  I  do  to  he  saved  2 

The  hearts  of  multitudes  have  been  greatly  taken  off 
from  the  things  of  the  world,  its  profits,  pleasures,  and 
honors ;  and  there  has  been  a  great  increase  of  sensible- 
ness  and  tenderness  of  conscience  :  multitudes  in  all 
parts  have  "had  their  consciences  awakened,  and  have 
been  made  sensible  of  the  pernicious  nature  and  conse- 
quences of  sin,  and  what  a  dreadful  thing  it  is  to  lie  un- 
der guilt  and  the  displeasure  of  God,  and  to  live  without 
peace  and  reconciliation  with  him ;  they  have  also  been 
awakened  to  a  sense  of  the  shortness  and  uncertainty  of 
life,  and  the  reality  of  another  world  and  future  judg- 
ment, and  of  the  necessity  of  an  interest  in  Christ;  they 
are  more  afraid  of  sin,  more  careful  and  inquisitive  that 
they  may  know  what  is  contrary  to  the  mind  and  will  of 
God,  that  they  may  avoid  it,  and  what  he  requires  of 
them,  that  they  may  do  it ;  more  careful  to  guard  against 
temptations,  more  watchful  over  their  own  hearts,  earn- 
estly desirous  of  being  informed  what  are  the  means  that 
God  has  directed  to  for  their  salvation,  and  diligent  in 
the  use  of  the  means  that  God  has  appointed  in  his  word 
in  order  to  it. 

Many  very  stupid,  senseless  sinners,  and  persons  of  a 
vain  mind,  have  been  greatly  awakened.  There  is  a 
strange  alteration  almost  all  over  New  England  among 
young  people  ;  by  a  powerful,  invisible  influence  on  their 
minds,  they  have  been  brought  to  forsake  those  things  in 
a  general  way,  as  it  were  at  once,  that  they  were  ex- 
tremely fond  of  and  greatly  addicted  to,  and  that  they 


152  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

seemed  to  place  the  happiness  of  their  lives  in,  and  that 
nothing  before  could  induce  them  to  forsake  ;  as  their 
frolicking,  vain  company-keeping,  night-v^alking,  their 
mirth  and  jollity,  their  impure  language  and  lewd  songs. 
In  vain  did  ministers  preach  against  those  things  before, 
and  in  vain  were  laws  made  to  restrain  them,  and  in 
vain  was  all  the  vigilance  of  magistrates  and  civil  officers; 
but  now  they  have  almost  every  where  dropped  them 
as  it  were  of  themselves.  And  there  is  a  great  alteration 
amongst  old  and  young  as  to  drinking,  tavern  haunting, 
profane  speaking,  and  extravagance  in  apparel.  Many 
notoriously  vicious  persons  have  been  reformed  and  be- 
come externally  quite  new  creatures :  some  that  are 
wealthy,  and  of  a  fashionable,  gay  education ;  some  great 
beaus  and  fine  ladies,  that  seemed  to  have  their  minds 
swallowed  up  with  nothing  but  the  vain  shows  and  plea- 
sures of  the  world,  have  been  wonderfully  altered,  and 
have  relinquished  these  vanities,  and  are  become  serious 
and  humble  in  their  conversation. 

It  is  astonishing  to  see  the  alteration  in  some  towns, 
where  before  was  but  little  appearance  of  religion  or  any 
thing  but  vice  and  vanity  :  and  so  remote  was  all  that  was 
to  be  seen  or  heard  amongst  them  from  any  thing  that 
savored  of  vital  piety  or  serious  religion,  or  that  had  any 
relation  to  it,  that  one  would  have  thought,  if  they  had 
judged  only  by  what  appeared  in  them,  that  they  had 
been  some  other  species  from  the  serious  and  religious, 
which  had  no  concern  with  another  world,  and  whose  na- 
tures were  not  made  capable  of  those  things  that  apper- 
tain to  christian  experience  and  pious  conversation  ;  espe- 
cially was  it  thus  among  young  persons  :  and  now  they 
are  transformed  into  another  sort  of  people ;  their  former 


IN   NEW    ENGLAND.  153 

vain,  worldly  and  vicious  conversation  and  dispositions 
seem  to  be  forsaken,  and  they  are,  as  it  were,  gone  over 
to  a  new  world :  their  thoughts,  and  their  talk  and  their 
concern,  affections  and  inquiries,  are  now  about  the  favor 
of  God,  an  interest  in  Christ,  a  renewed,  sanctified  heart, 
and  a  spiritual  blessedness,  and  acceptance  and  hapj^iness 
in  a  future  world. 

And  through  the  greater  part  of  New  England  the 
Holy  Bible  is  in  much  greater  esteem  and  use  than  it  used 
to  be ;  the  great  things  that  are  contained  in  it  are  much- 
more  regarded  as  things  of  the  greatest  consequence,  and 
are  much  more  the  subjects  of  meditation  and  conversa- 
tion ;  and  other  books  of  piety  that  have  long  been  of  es- 
tablished reputation,  as  the  most  excellent  and  most  tend- 
ing to  promote  true  godliness,  have  been  abundantly  more 
in  use  :  the  Lord's  day  is  more  religiously  observed :  and 
abundance  has  been  lately  done  at  making  up  differences 
and  confessing  faults  one  to  another,  and  making  restitu- 
tion ;  probably  more  within  these  two  years  than  was 
done  in  thirty  years  before — it  has  been  so  undoubtedly 
in  many  places.  And  surprising  has  been  the  power  of 
that  Spirit  that  has  been  poured  out  on  the  land,  in  many 
instances  to  destroy  old  grudges  and  make  up  long-con- 
tinued breaches,  and  to  bring  those  that  seemed  to  be  in 
a  confirmed  irreconcilable  alienation,  to  embrace  each 
other  in  a  sincere  and  entire  amity. 

Great  numbers  under  this  influence  have  been  brought 
to  a  deep  sense  of  their  own  sinfulness  and  vileness  :  the 
sinfulness  of  their  lives,  the  heinousness  of  their  disregard 
of  the  authority  of  the  great  God,  and  the  heinousness  of 
their  living  in  contempt  of  a  Savior  :  they  have  lamented 
their  former  negligence  of  their  souls  and  neglecting  and 

7* 


154  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

losing  precious  time.  Their  sins  of  life  have  been  extra- 
ordinarily set  before  them  ;  and  they  have  also  had  a  great 
sense  of  their  sins  of  heart ;  their  hardness  of  heart  and 
enmity  against  that  w^hich  is  good,  and  proneness  to  all 
evil ;  and  also  of  the  worthlessness  of  their  own  religious 
performances,  how  unworthy  their  prayers,  praises,  and 
all  that  they  did  in  religion  was  to  be  regarded  of  God  : 
and  it  has  been  a  common  thing  that  persons  have  had 
such  a  sense  of  their  own  sinfulness  that  they  have 
thought  themselves  to  be  the  worst  of  all,  and  that  none 
ever  was  so  vile  as  they  :  and  many  seem  to  have  been 
greatly  convinced  that  they  were  utterly  unworthy  of  any 
mercy  at  the  hands  of  God,  however  miserable  they  were, 
and  though  they  stood  in  extreme  necessity  of  mercy;  and 
that  they  deserved  nothing  but  eternal  burnings  :  and  have 
been  sensible  that  God  would  be  altogether  just  and  righ- 
teous in  inflicting  endless  damnation  upon  them,  at  the 
same  time  that  they  have  had  an  exceedingly  affecting 
sense  of  the  dreadfulness  of  such  endless  torments,  and 
have  apprehended  themselves  to  be  greatly  in  danger  of 
them.  And  many  have  been  deeply  affected  with  a  sense 
of  their  own  ignorance,  and  blindness,  and  exceeding 
helplessness,  and  so  of  their  extreme  need  of  the  divine 
pity  and  help. 

And  so  far  as  we  are  worthy  to  be  credited  one  by  an- 
other in  what  we  say,  (and  persons  of  good  understand- 
ing and  sound  mind,  and  known  and  experienced  probity, 
have  a  right  to  be  believed  by  their  neighbors,  when  they 
speak  of  things  that  fall  under  their  observation  and  ex- 
perience,) multitudes  in  New  England  have  lately  been 
brought  to  a  new  and  great  conviction  of  the  truth  and 
certainty  of  the  things  of  the  Gospel ;  to  a  firm  persuasion 


IN   NEW    ENGLAND.  155 

tliat  Christ  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  great  and 
only  Savior  of  the  world ;  and  that  the  great  doctrines  of 
the  Gospel  touching  reconciliation  by  his  blood  and  ac- 
ceptance in  his  righteousness,  and  eternal  life  and  salva- 
tion through  him,  are  matters  of  undoubted  truth ;  toge- 
ther with  a  most  affecting  sense  of  the  excellency  and  suf- 
ficiency of  this  Savior,  and  the  glorious  wisdom  and  grace 
of  God  shining  in  this  way  of  salvation ;  and  of  the  won- 
ders of  Christ's  dying  love,  and  the  sincerity  of  Christ  in 
the  invitations  of  the  Gospel,  and  a  consequent  affiance 
and  sweet  rest  of  soul  in  Christ,  as  a  glorious  Savior,  a 
strong  rock  and  high  tower,  accompanied  with  an  admir- 
ing and  exalting  apprehension  of  the  glory  of  the  divine 
perfections,  God's  majesty,  holiness,  sovereign  grace,  &c. 
with  a  sensible,  strong  and  sweet  love  to  God,  and  delight 
in  him,  far  surpassing  all  temporal  delights  or  earthly 
pleasures ;  and  a  rest  of  soul  in  him  as  a  portion  and  the 
fountain  of  all  good,  attended  with  an  abhorrence  of  sin 
and  self-loathing  for  it,  and  earnest  longings  o£  soul  after 
more  holiness  and  conformity  to  God,  with  a  sense  of  the 
great  need  of  God's  help  in  order  to  holiness  of  life ;  to- 
gether with  a  most  dear  love  to  all  that  are  supposed  to 
be  the  children  of  God,  and  a  love  to  mankind  in  general, 
and  a  most  sensible  and  tender  compassion  for  the  souls 
of  sinners,  and  earnest  desires  for  the  advancement  of 
Christ's  kingdom  in  the  world.  '  And  these  things  have 
appeared  to  be  in  many  of  them  abiding,  now  for  many 
months,  yea,  more  than  a  year  and  a  half;  with  an  abid- 
ino-  concern  to  live  a  holy  life,  and  great  complaints  of 
remaining  corruption,  longing  to  be  more  free  from  the 
body  of  sin  and  death. 

And  not  onlv  do  these  effects  appear  in  new  converts, 


156  REVIVAL    OP    RELIGION 

but  great  numbers  of  those  that  were  formerly  esteemed 
the  most  sober  and  pious  people,  have,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  this  vs^ork,  been  greatly  quickened,  and  their 
hearts  renewed  with  greater  degrees  of  light,  renewed 
repentance  and  humiliation,  and  more  lively  exercises  of 
faith,  love  and  joy  in  the  Lord.  Many,  as  I  am  well  know- 
ing, have  of  late  been  remarkably  engaged  to  watch  and 
strive,  and  fight  against  sin,  and  cast  out  every  idol,  and 
sell  all  for  Christ,  and  give  up  themselves  entirely  to  God, 
and  make  a  sacrifice  of  every  worldly  and  carnal  thing  to 
the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  their  souls ;  and  there  has 
of  late  appeared  in  some  places  an  unusual  disposition  to 
bind  themselves  to  it  in  a  solemn  covenant  with  God. 

And  now  instead  of  meetings  at  taverns  and  drinking 
houses,  and  meetings  of  young  people  in  frolicks  and  vain 
company,  the  country  is  full  of  meetings  of  all  sorts  and 
ages  of  persons,  young  and  old,  men,  women  and  little 
children,  to  read  and  pray,  and  sing  praises,  and  to  con- 
verse of  the  things  of  God  and  another  world.  In  very 
many  places  the  main  of  the  conversation  in  all  compa- 
nies turns  on  religion  and  things  of  a  spiritual  nature. 
Instead  of  vain  mirth  amongst  young  people,  there  is  now 
either  mourning  under  a  sense  of  the  guilt  of  sin,  or  holy 
rejoicing  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  and  instead  of  their  lewd  songs 
are  now  to  be  heard  from  them  songs  of  praises  to  God 
and  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  redeem  them  by  his  blood. 
And  there  has  been  this  alteration  abiding  on  multitudes 
all  over  the  land  for  a  year  and  a  half,  without  any  ap- 
pearance of  a  disposition  to  return  to  former  vice  and 
vanity. 

■  And  under  the  influence  of  this  work  there  have  been 
many  of  the  remains  of  those  wretched  people  and  dregs 


IN   NEW   ENGLAND.  157 

of  mankind,  the  poor  Indians,  that  seemed  to  be  next 
to  a  state  of  brutality,  and  with  whom,  till  now,  it  seem- 
ed to  be  to  little  more  purpose  to  use  endeavors  for  their 
instruction  and  awakening  than  with  the  beasts ;  whose 
minds  have  now  been  strangely  opened  to  receive  in- 
struction, and  have  been  deeply  affected  with  the  con- 
cerns of  their  precious  souls,  and  have  reformed  their 
lives  and  forsaken  their  former  stupid,  barbarous  and 
brutish  way  of  living ;  and  particularly  that  sin  to  which 
theyjhave  been  so  exceedingly  addicted,  their  drunken- 
ness ;  and  are  become  devout  and  serious  persons  ;  and 
many  of  them  to  appearance  brought  tinily  and  greatly  to 
delight  in  the  things  of  God,  and  to  have  their  souls  very 
much  engaged  and  entertained  with  the  great  things  of 
the  Gospel.  And  many  of  the  poor  negroes  also  have 
been  in  like  manner  wrought  upon  and  changed.  And 
the  souls  of  very  many  little  children  have  been  remark- 
ably enlightened,  and  their  hearts  wonderfully  affected 
and  enlarged,  and  their  mouths  opened,  expressing  them- 
selves in  a  manner  far  beyond  their  years,  and  to  the  just 
astonishment  of  those  that  have  heard  them ;  and  some 
of  them  from  time  to  time,  for  many  months,  have  been 
greatly  and  delightfully  affected  with  the  glory  of  divine 
things  and  the  excellency  and  love  of  the  Redeemer, 
with  their  hearts  greatly  filled  With  love  to  and  joy  in 
him,  and  have  continued  to  be  serious  and  pious  in  their 
behavior. 

The  divine  power  of  this  work  has  marvellously  ap- 
peared, in  some  instances  I  have  been  acquainted  with, 
in  supporting  and  fortifying  the  heart  under  great  trials, 
such  as  the  death  of  children  and  extreme  pain  of  body; 
wonderfully  maintaining  the  serenity,  calmness  and  joy 


158  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

of  the  soul  in  an  immovable  rest  in  God,  and  sweet 
resignation  to  him.  There  also  have  been  instances  of 
some  that  have  been  the  subject  of  this  work,  that  under 
the  blessed  influences  of  it  have,  in  such  a  calm,  bright 
and  joyful  frame  of  mind,  been  carried  through  the  val- 
ley of  the  shadow  of  death. 

And  now  let  us  consider — Is  it  not  strange  that  in  a 
christian,  orthodox  country,  and  such  a  land  of  light  as 
this  is,  there  should  be  many  at  a  loss  whose  worl^  this 
is,  whether  the  work  of  God  or  the  work  of  the  devil  1 
Is  it  not  a  shame  to  New  England  that  such  a  work 
should  be  much  doubted  of  here  ]  Need  we  look  over 
the  histories  of  all  past  times,  to  see  if  there  be  not  some 
circumstances  and  external  appearances  that  attend  this 
work,  that  have  been  formerly  found  amongst  enthusi- 
asts 1  Whether  the  Montanists  had  not  great  transports 
of  joy,  and  whether  the  French  Prophets  had  not  agita- 
tions of  body  ?  Blessed  be  God  !  he  does  not  put  us  to 
the  toil  of  such  inquiries.  We  need  not  say,  Who  shall 
ascend  into  heaven  to  bring  us  down  something  whereby 
to  judge  of  this  work  1  Nor  does  God  send  us  beyond 
the  seas,  nor  into  past  ages,  to  obtain  a  rule  that  shall 
determine  and  satisfy  us.  But  we  have  a  rule  near  at 
hand — a  sacred  hook  that  God  himself  has  put  into  our 
hands,  with  clear  and  infallible  marks  sufficient  to  re- 
solve us  in  things  of  this  nature ;  which  book  I  think  we 
must  reject,  not  only  in  some  particular  passages,  but  in 
the  substance  of  it,  if  we  reject  such  a  work  as  has  now 
been  described,  as  not  b^ing  the  work  of  God,  The 
whole  tenor  of  the  Gospel  proves  it  \  all  the  idea  of  reli- 
gion that  the  Scripture  gives  us  confirms  it. 


IN    NEW  ENGLAND^  159 

I  suppose  there  is  scarcely  a  minister  in  this  land  but 
from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath  used  to  pray  that  God  would 
pour  out  his  Spirit  and  work  a  reformation  and  a  revival 
of  religion  in  the  country,  and  turn  us  from  our  intem- 
perance, profaneness,  uncleanness,  worldliness  and  other 
sins  ;  and  we  have  ke^Dt,  from  year  to  year,  days  of  public 
fasting  and  prayer  to  God,  to  acknowledge  our  backslid- 
ings  and  humble  ourselves  for  our  sins,  and  to  seek  of 
God  forgiveness  and  reformation :  and  now  when  so 
great  and  extensive  a  reformation  is  so  suddenly  and 
wonderfully  accomplished  in  those  very  things  that  we 
have  sought  to  God  for,  shall  we  not  acknowledge  itl 
Or  when  we  do,  shall  we  do  it  with  great  coldness,  cau- 
tion and  reserve,  and  scarcely  take  any  notice  of  it  in 
our  public  prayers  and  praises,  or  mention  it  but  slightly 
and  cursorily,  and  in  such  a  manner  as  carries  an  appear- 
ance as  though  we  would  contrive  to  say  as  little  of  it  as 
ever  we  could,  and  were  glad  to  pass  from  it  %  And  that 
because  (although,  indeed,  there  be  such  a  work  attended 
with  all  these  glorious  effects,  yet)  the  work  is  attended 
with  a  mixture  of  error,  imprudences,  darkness  and  sin  ; 
because  some  persons  are  carried  away  with  impressions, 
and  are  indiscreet  and  too  censorious  with  their  zeal ; 
and  because  there  are  high  transports  of  religious  affec- 
tion ;  and  because  of  some  effects  on  persons'  bodies  that 
we  do  not  understand  the  reason' of  ] 


160  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION. 

5.   Genuineness  of  the  work  illustrated  hy  examples^  pm  - 
ticidarly  in  the  case  of  one  individual* 

I  have  been  particularly  acquainted  with  many  persons 
that  have  been  the  subjects  of  the  high  and  extraordinary 
transports  of  the  present  day ;  and  in  the  highest  trans- 
ports of  any  of  the  instances  that  I  have  been  acquainted 
with,  and  where  the  affections  of  admiration,  love  and 
joy,  so  far  as  another  could  judge,  have  been  raised  to  a 
higher  pitch  than  in.  any  other  instances  I  have  observ- 
ed or  been  informed  of,  the  following  things  have  been 
united :  namely, 

A  very  frequent  dwelling,  for  some  considerable  time 
together,  in  such  views  of  the  glory  of  the  divine  perfec- 
tions and  Christ's  excellencies,  that  the  soul  in  the  mean 
time  has  been  as  it  were  perfectly  overwhelmed  and 
swallowed  up  with  light  and  love,  and  a  sweet  solace, 
rest  and  joy  of  soul  that  was  altogether  unspeakable; 
and  more  than  once  continuing  for  five  or  six  hours  to- 
gether without  interruption  in  that  clear  and  lively  view 
or  sense  of  the  infinite  beauty  and  amiableness  of  Christ's 
person,  and  the  heavenly  sweetness  of  his  excellent  and 
transcendent  love ;  so  that  (to  use  the  person's  own  ex- 
pressions) the  soul  remained  in  a  kind  of  heavenly  ely- 
sium,  and  did  as  it  were  swim  in  the  rays  of  Christ's  love, 
like  a  little  mote  swimming  in  the  beams  of  the  sun  or 
streams  of  his  light  that  come  in  at  a  window ;  and  the 
heart  was  swallowed  up  in  a  kind  of  glow  of  Christ's 
love  coming  down  from  Christ's  heart  in  heaven  as  a 
constant  stream  of  sweet  light,  at  the  same  time  the  soul 

•  This  individual  was  doubtless  Mrs.  Edwards,  the  wife  of  the  author, 
a  woman  of  uncommon  endowments  and  excellence.   See  Edwards'  Life. 


IN   NEW    ENGLAND.  161 

was  all  flowing  out  in  love  to  him ;  so  that  there  seemed 
to  be  a  constant  flowing  and  reflowing  from  heart  to  heart. 
The  soul  dwelt  on  high,  and  was  lost  in  God,  and  seem- 
ed almost  to  leave  the  body ;  dwelling  on  a  pure  de- 
light that  fed  and  satisfied  the  soul ;  enjoying  pleasure 
without  the  least  sting  or  interruption ;  a  sweetness 
that  the  soul  was  lost  in ;  so  that  (so  far  as  the  judgment 
and  word  of  a  person  of  discretion  may  be  taken,  speak- 
ing upon  the  most  deliberate  consideration)  what  was 
enjoyed  in  each  single  minute  of  the  whole  space,  which 
was  many  hours,  was  undoubtedly  worth  more  than  all 
the  outward  comfort  and  pleasure  of  the  whole  life  put 
together ;  and  this  without  being  in  any  trance,  or  being 
at  all  deprived  of  the  exercise  of  the  bodily  senses  :  and 
the  like  heavenly  delight  and  unspeakable  joy  of  soul, 
enjoyed  from  time  to  time  for  years  together ;  though 
not  frequently  so  long  together,  to  such  a  height :  extra- 
ordinary views  of  divine  things  and  religious  affections 
being  frequently  attended  with  very  great'  effects  on  the 
body,  nature  often  sinking  under  the  weight  of  divine  dis- 
coveries, the  strength  of  the  body  taken  away,  so  as  to  de- 
prive of  all  ability  to  stand  or  speak ;  sometimes  the  hands 
clinched  and  the  flesh  cold,  but  sense  still  remaining ; 
animal  nature  often  in  a  great  emotion  and  agitation,  and 
the  soul  very  often,  of  late,  so  overcome  with  great  admi- 
ration and  a  kind  of  omnipotent  joy,  as  to  cause  the 
person  (wholly  unavoidably)  to  leap  with  all  the  might, 
with  joy  and  mighty  exultation  of  soul ;  the  soul  at  the 
same  time  being  so  strongly  drawn  towards  God  and 
Christ  in  heaven,  that  it  seemed  to  the  person  as  though 
soul  and  body  would,  as  it  were  of  themselves,  of  neces- 
sity mount  up,  leave  the  earth  and  ascend  thither. 


162  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

These  effects  on  the  body  did  not  begin  now  in  this 
wonderful  season,  that  they  should  be  owing  to  the  in- 
fluence of  the  example  of  the  times,  but  about  seven  years 
ago  ;  and  began  in  a  much  higher  degree  and  greater  fre- 
quency, near  three  years  ago,  when  there  was  no  such 
enthusiastical  season,  as  many  account  this,  but  it  was  a 
very  dead  time  through  the  land  :  they  arose  from  no  dis- 
temper catched  from  Mr.  Whitefield  or  Mr.  Tennent,  be- 
cause they  began  before  either  of  them  came  into  the 
country ;  they  began,  as  I  said,  near  three  years  ago,  in 
a  great  increase,  upon  an  extraordinary  self-dedication, 
and  renunciation  of  the  world,  and  resignation  of  all  to 
God,  made  in  a  great  view  of  God's  excellency,  and  high 
exercise  of  love  to  him,  and  rest  and  joy  in  him;  since 
which  time  they  have  been  very  frequent.  They  began 
in  a  yet  higher  degree  and  greater  frequency  about  a 
year  and  a  half  ago,  upon  another  new  resignation  of  all 
to  God,  with  a  yet  greater  fervency  and  delight  of  soul ; 
since  which  time  the  body  has  been  very  often  fainting 
with  the  love  of  Christ ;  and  they  began  in  a  much  higher 
degree  still,  the  last  winter,  upon  another  resignation  and 
acceptance  of  God  as  the  only  portion  and  happiness  of 
the  soul,  wherein  the  whole  world,  with  the  dearest  en- 
joyments in  it,  were  renounced  as  dirt  and  dung,  and  all 
that  is  pleasant  and  glorious,  and  all  that  is  terrible  in 
this  world,  seemed  perfectly  to  vanish  into  nothing,  and 
nothing  to  be  left  but  God,  in  whom  the  soul  was  per- 
fectly swallowed  up,  as  in  an  infinite  ocean  of  blessed- 
ness :  since  which  time  there  have  often  been  great  agita- 
tions of  body  and  an  unavoidable  leaping  for  joy ;  and 
the  soul  as  it  were  dwelling,  almost  without  interruption, 
in  a  kind  of  paradise  j  and  very  often,  in  high  transports, 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  163 

disposed  to  speak  of  those  great  and  glorious  things  of 
God  and  Christ  and  the  eternal  world  that  are  in  view, 
to  others  that  are  present,  in  a  most  earnest  manner  and 
with  a  loud  voice,  so  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  avoid 
it ;  these  effects  on  the  body  not  arising  from  any  bodily 
disease  or  weakness,  the  most  distinguished  of  all  having 
been  in  a  good  state  of  health. 

This  great  rejoicing  has  been  a  rejoicing  with  trem- 
bling, that  is,  attended  with  a  deep  and  lively  sense  of 
the  greatness  and  majesty  of  God,  and  the  person's  own 
exceeding  littleness  and  vileness  :  spiritual  joys  in  this 
person  never  were  attended,  either  formerly  or  lately, 
with  the  least  appearance  of  any  laughter  or  lightness  of 
countenance  or  manner  of  speaking;  but  with  a  peculiar 
abhorrence  of  such  appearances  in  spiritual  rejoicings, 
especially  since  joys  have  been  greatest  of  all :  these  high 
transports  when  they  have  been  past,  have  had  abiding 
effects  in  the  increase  of  the  sweetness,  rest  and  humility 
that  they  have  left  upon  the  soul ;  and  a  new  engagedness 
of  heart  to  live  to  God's  honor,  and  watch  and  fight  against 
sin.  And  these  things  not  in  one  that  is  in  the  giddy  age 
of  youth,  nor  in  a  new  convert  and  unexperienced  chris- 
tian, but  in  one  that  was  converted  above  twenty-seven 
years  ago  ;  and  neither  converted  nor  educated  in  that  en- 
thusiastical  town  of  Northampton,  (as  some  may  be  ready 
to  call  it,)  but  in  a  town  and  family  that  none  that  I  know 
of  suspected  of  enthusiasm ;  and  in  a  christian  that  has 
been  long,  in  an  uncommon  manner,  growing  in  grace, 
and  rising,  by  very  sensible  degrees,  to  higher  love  to 
God,  and  weanedness  from  the  world,  and  mastery  over 
sin  and  temptation,  through  great  trials  and  conflicts,  and 
iong-continued  struggling  and  fighting  with  sin,  and  earn- 


164  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

est  and  constant  prayer  and  labor  in  religion,  and  engag- 
edness  of  mind  in  the  use  of  all  means,  attended  w^ith  a 
great  exactness  of  life  :  which  growth  has  been  attended 
not  only  with  a  great  increase  of  religious  affections,  but 
with  a  wonderful  alteration  of  outward  behavior,  in  many 
things  visible  to  those  who  are  most  intimately  acquaint- 
ed, so  as  lately  to  have  become  as  it  were  a  new  person ; 
and  particularly  in  living  so  much  more  above  the  world, 
and  in  a  greater  degree  of  steadfastness  and  strength  in 
the  way  of  duty  and  self-denial,  maintaining  the  christian 
conflict  against  temptations,  and  conquering  from  time  to 
time  under  great  trials ;  persisting  in  an  unmoved,  un- 
touched calm  and  rest,  under  the  changes  and  accidents 
of  time.  The  person  had  formerly,  in  lower  degrees  of 
grace,  been  subject  to  unsteadiness,  and  many  ups  and 
downs  in  the  frame  of  mind ;  the  mind  being  under  great 
disadvantages  through  want  of  bodily  health,  and  often 
subject  to  melancholy,  and  at  times  almost  overborne 
with  it,  it  having  been  so  even  from  early  youth :  but 
strength  of  grace  and  divine  light  has  of  a  long  time 
wholly  conquered  these  disadvantages,  and  carried  the 
mind  in  a  constant  manner  quite  above  them. 

Since  that  resignation  spoken  of  before,  made  near 
three  years  ago,  every  thing  of  that  nature  seems  to  be 
overcome  and  crushed  by  the  power  of  faith  and  trust  in 
God,  and  resignation  to  him ;  the  person  has  remained  in 
a  constant  uninterrupted  rest  and  humble  joy  in  God, 
and  assurance  of  his  favor,  without  one  hour's  melancho- 
ly or  darkness  from  that  day  to  this ;  diseases  have  had 
great  effects  on  the  body,  such  as  they  used  to  have 
before,  but  the  soul  has  been  always  out  of  their  reach. 
And    this    steadfastness  and    constancy    has    remained 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  165 

through  great  outward  changes  and  trials ;  such  as  times 
of  the  most  extreme  pain  and  apparent  hazard  of  imme- 
diate death.  What  has  been  felt  in  late  great  transports 
is  known  to  be  nothing  new  in  kind,  but  to  be  of  the  same 
nature  with  what  was  felt  formerly,  when  a  little  child 
of  about  five  or  six  years  of  age,  but  only  in  a  vastly 
higher  degree. 

These  transporting  views  and  rapturous  affections  are 
not  attended  with  any  enthusiastic  disposition  to  follow 
impulses  or  any  supposed  prophetical  revelations;  nor 
have  they  been  observed  to  be  attended  with  any  appear- 
ance of  spiritual  pride,  but  very  much  of  a  contrary  dis- 
position, an  increase  of  a  spirit  of  humility  and  meekness, 
and  a  disposition  in  honor  to  prefer  others  ;  and  it  is  wor- 
thy to  be  remarked,  that  at  a  time  remarkably  distinguish- 
ed from  all  others,  wherein  discoveries  and  holy  affections 
were  evidently  at  the  greatest  height  that  ever  happened, 
the  greatness  and  clearness  of  divine  light  being  over- 
whelming, and  the  strength  and  sweetness  of  divine  love 
altogether  overpowering,  which  began  early  in  the  morn- 
ing of  the  holy  Sabbath,  and  lasted  for  days  together, 
melting  all  down  in  the  deepest  humility  and  poverty  of 
spirit,  reverence  and  resignation,  and  the  sweetest  meek- 
ness and  universal  benevolence ;  I  say,  it  is  worthy  to  be 
observed,  that  there  were  these  two  things  in  a  remark- 
able manner  felt  at  that  time,  namely,  a  peculiarly  sensible 
aversion  to  a  judging  of  others,  that  were  professing  chris- 
tians of  good  standing  in  the  visible  church,  that  they 
were  not  converted,  or  with  respect  to  their  degrees  of 
grace ;  or  at  all  intermeddling  with  that  matter,  so  much 
as  to  determine  against  and  condemn  others  in  the  thought 
of  the  heart ;  it  appearing  hateful,  as  not  agreeing  with 


166  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

that  lamblike  humility,  meekness,  gentleness  and  charity 
M^hich  the  soul  then,  above  other  times,  saw  the  beauty 
of,  and  felt  a  disposition  to.  The  disposition  that  was 
then  felt  was,  on  the  contrary,  to  prefer  others  to  self,  and 
to  hape  that  they  saw  more  of  God  and  loved  him  better ; 
though  before,  under  smaller  discoveries  and  feebler  ex- 
ercises of  divine  affection,  there  had  been  felt  a  disposi- 
tion to  censure  and  condemn  others.  And  another  thing 
that  was  felt  at  that  time,  was  a  very  great  sense  of  the 
importance  of  moral  social  duties,  and  how  great  a  part 
of  religion  lay  in  them  :  there  was  such  a  new  sense  and 
conviction  of  this  beyond  what  had  been  before,  that  it 
seemed  to  be  as  it  were  a  clear  discovery  then  made  to 
the  soul ;  but  in  general  there  has  been  a  very  great  in- 
crease of  a  sense  of  these  two  things,  as  divine  views  and 
divine  love  have  increased.  The  things  already  mentioned 
have  been  attended  also  with  the  following :  namely, 

An  extraordinary  sense  of  the  awful  majesty  and  great- 
ness of  God,  so  as  oftentimes  to  take  away  the  bodily 
strength ;  a  sense  of  the  holiness  of  God,  as  of  a  flame 
infinitely  pure  and  bright,  so  as  sometimes  to  overwhelm 
soul  and  body ;  a  sense  of  the  piercing  all-seeing  eye  of 
God,  so  as  sometimes  to  take  away  the  bodily  strength  ; 
and  an  extraordinary  view  of  the  infinite  terribleness  of 
the  wrath  of  God,  which  has  very  frequently  been  strong- 
ly impressed  on  the  mind,  together  with  a  sense  of  the  in- 
effable misery  of  sinners  that  are  exposed  to  this  wrath, 
that  has  been  overpowering.  Sometimes  the  exceeding  pol- 
luUon  of  the  person's  own  heart,  as  a  sink  of  all  manner 
of  abomination  and  a  nest  of  vipers,  and  the  dreadful- 
ness  of  an  eternal  hell  of  God's  wrath  opened  to  view 
both  together ;  with  a  clear  view  of  a  desert  of  that  mi 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  167 

sery  without  the  least  degree  of  divine  pity,  and  that  by 
the  pollution  of  the  best  duties,  yea,  only  by  the  pollu- 
tion, and  irreverence,  and  want  of  humility  that  attended 
once  speaking  of  the  holy  name  of  God,  when  done  in 
the  best  manner  that  ever  it  was  done ;  the  strength  of 
the  body  very  often  taken  away,  with  a  deep  mourning 
for  sin  as  committed  against  so  holy  and  good  a  God, 
sometimes  with  an  affecting  sense  of  actual  sin,  sometimes 
especially  indwelling  sin,  sometimes  the  consideration  of 
the  sin  of  the  heart  as  appearing  in  a  particular  thing,  as 
for  instance,  in  that  there  was  no  greater  forwardness 
and  readiness  to  self-denial  for  God  and  Christ  that  had 
so  denied  himself  for  us  ;  yea,  sometimes  the  considera- 
tion of  the  sin,  in  only  speaking  one  word  concerning  the 
infinitely  great  and  holy  God,  has  been  so  affecting  as  to 
overcome  the  strength  of  nature — 

A  very  great  sense  of  the  certain  truth  of  the  great 
things  revealed  in  the  Gospel;  an  overwhelming  sense 
of  the  glory  of  the  work  of  redemption,  and  the  way  of 
salvation  by  Jesus  Christ ;  the  glorious  harmony  of  the 
divine  attributes  appearing  therein,  as  that  wherein  mer- 
cy and  truth  are  met  together,  and  righteousness  and 
peace  have  kissed  each  other ;  a  sight  of  the  fulness  and 
glorious  sufficiency  of  Christ  that  has  been  so  aflfecting 
as  to  overcome  the  body :  a  constant  immovable  trust  in 
God  through  Christ,  with  a  great  sense  of  his  strength 
and  faithfulness,  the  sureness  of  his  covenant  and  the  im- 
mutability of  his  promises,  so  that  the  everlasting  moun- 
tains and  perpetual  hills  have  appeared  as  mere  shadows 
to  these  things  :  sometimes  the  sufficiency  and  faithful- 
ness of  God,  as  the  covenant  God  of  his  people,  appear- 
ing in  these  words,  I  AM  THAT  I  AM,  in  so  affecting 


168  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

a  manner  as  to  overcome  the  body  :  a  sense  of  the  glori- 
ous, unsearchable,  unerring  w^isdom  of  God  in  his  works, 
both  of  creation  and  providence,  so  as  to  swallow  up  the 
soul  and  overcome  the  strength  of  the  body  :  a  sweet  re- 
joicing of  soul  at  the  thoughts  of  God's  being  infinitely 
and  unchangeably  happy,  and  an  exulting  gladness  of 
heart  that  God  is  self-sufficient  and  infinitely  above  all 
dependence,  and  reigns  over  all,  and  does  his  will  with 
absolute  and  uncontrollable  power  and  sovereignty  ;  a 
sense  of  the  glory  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  great  com- 
forter, so  as  to  overwhelm  both  soul  and  body ;  only 
mentioning  the  word  the  Comforter  has  immediately  taken 
away  all  strength  ;  that  word,  as  the  person  expressed  it, 
seemed  great  enough  to  fill  heaven  and  earth  :  a  most 
vehement  and  passionate  desire  of  the  honor  and  glory 
of  God's  name  ;  a  sensible,  clear  and  constant  preference 
of  it,  not  only  to  the  person's  own  temporal  interest,  but 
spiritual  comfort  in  this  world ;  and  a  willingness  to  suf- 
fer the  hidings  of  God's  face,  and  to  live  and  die  in  dark- 
ness and  horror  if  God's  honor  should  require  it,  and  to 
have  no  other  reward  for  it  but  that  God's  name  should 
be  glorified,  although  so  much  of  the  sweetness  of  the 
light  of  God's  countenance  had  been  experienced  :  a 
great  lamenting  of  ingratitude  and  the  lowness  of  the 
degree  of  love  to  God,  so  as  to  deprive  of  bodily  strength  ; 
and  very  often  vehement  longings  and  faintings  after 
more  love  to  Christ  and  greater  conformity  to  him  ;  espe- 
cially longing  after  these  two  things,  to  be  more  perfect 
in  liumiliiy  and  adoration;  the  flesh  and  heart  seems  often 
to  cry  out  for  a  lying  low  before  God,  and  adoring  him 
with  greater  love  and  humility  :  the  thoughts  of  the  per- 
fect humility  with  which  the   saints  in  heaven  worship 


IN   NEW   ENGLAND.  169 

God  and  fall  down  before  his  throne  have  often  over- 
come the  body  and  set  it  into  a  great  agitation—    ' 

A  great  delight  in  singing  praises  to  God  and  Jesus 
Christ,  and  longing  that  this  present  life  may  be,  as  it 
were,  one  continued  song  of  praise  to  God  ;  longing,  as 
the  person  expressed  it,  to  sit  and  sing  this  life  away ; 
and  an  overcoming  pleasure  in  the  thoughts  of  spending 
an  eternity  in  that  exercise ;  a  living  by  faith  to  a  great 
degree  ;  a  constant  and  extraordinary  distrust  of  our  own 
strength  and  wisdom  ;  a  great  dependence  on  God  for 
his  help,  in  order  to  the  performance  of  any  thing  to 
God's  acceptance,  and  being  restrained  from  the  most 
horrid  sins,  and  running  upon  God,  even  on  his  neck  and 
on  the  thick  bosses  of  his  buckler :  such  a  sense  of  the 
black  ingratitude  of  true  saints'  coldness  and  deadness 
in  religion,  and  their  setting  their  hearts  on  the  things  of 
this  world,  as  to  overcome  the  bodily  frame  :  a  great 
longing  that  all  the  children  of  God  might  be  lively  in 
religion,  fervent  in  their  love  and  active  in  the  service  of 
God ;  and  when  there  have  been  appearances  of  it  in 
others,  rejoicing  so  in  beholding  the  pleasing  sight  that 
the  joy  of  soul  has  been  too  great  for  the  body  :  taking 
pleasure  in  the  thoughts  of  watching  and  striving  against 
sin,  and  fighting  through  the  way  to  heaven,  and  filling 
up  this  life  with  hard  labor,  and  bearing  the  cross  for 
Christ,  as  an  opportunity  to  give  God  honor  ;  not  desir- 
ing to  rest  from  labors  till  arrived  in  heaven,  but  abhor- 
ring the  thoughts  of  it,  and  seeming  astonished  that  God's 
own  children  should  be  backward  to  strive  and  deny 
themselves  for  God — 

Earnest  longings  that  all  God's  people  might  be  clothed 
with  humility  and  meekness,  like  the  Lamb  of  God,  and 

Revival  of  Rel  g 


170  RETIVAL    OF    RELIGION' 

feel  nothing  in  their  hearts  but  love  and  compassion  to 
all  mankind ;  and  great  grief  when  any  thing  to  the  con- 
trary seems  to  appear  in  any  of  the  children  of  God,  as 
any  bitterness  or  fierceness  of  zeal,  or  censoriousness,  or 
reflecting  uncharitably  upon  others,  or  disputing  with  any 
appearance  of  heat  of  spirit ;  a  deep  concern  for  the 
good  of  others'  souls  ;  a  melting  compassion  to  those 
that  looked  on  themselves  as  in  a  state  of  nature,  and 
to  saints  under  darkness,  so  as  to  cause  the  body  to 
faint ;  a  universal  benevolence  to  mankind,  with  a  long- 
ing as  it  were  to  embrace  the  whole  world  in  the  arms  of 
pity  and  love  ;  ideas  of  suffering  from  enemies  the  utmost 
conceivable  rage  and  cruelty,  with  a  disposition  felt  to 
fervent  love  and  pity  in  such  a  case,  so  far  as  it  could  be 
realized  in  thought ;  fainting  with  pity  to  the  world  that 
lies  in  ignorance  and  wickedness  :  sometimes  a  disposi- 
tion felt  to  a  life  given  up  to  mourning  alone  in  a  wilder- 
ness over  a  lost  and  miserable  world;  compassion  to- 
wards them  being^  often  to  such  a  deo^ree  as  would  allow 
of  no  support  or  rest  but  in  going  to  God  and  pouring 
out  the  soul  in  prayer  for  them  ;  earnest  desires  that  the 
work  of  God  now  in  the  land  may  be  carried  on,  and 
that  with  greater  purity  and  freedom  from  all  bitter  zeal, 
censoriousness,  spiritual  pride,  or  hot  disputes  ;  a  vehe- 
ment and  constant  desire  for  the  setting  up  of  Christ's 
kingdom  through  the  earth,  as  a  kingdom  of  holiness, 
purity,  love,  peace  and  happiness  to  mankind  — 

The  soul  often  entertained  with  unspeakable  delight, 
and  bodily  strength  overborne  at  the  thoughts  of  heaven, 
as  a  world  of  love,  where  love  shall  be  the  saints'  eter- 
nal food,  and  they  shall  dwell  in  the  light  of  love,  and 
swim  in  an  ocean  of  love,  and  where   the  very  air  and 


IN   NEW   ENGLAND.  171 

breath  will  be  nothing  but  love ;  love  to  the  people  of 
God,  or  God's  true  saints,  as  those  who  have  the  image 
of  Christ,  and  as  those  who  will  in  a  very  little  time 
shine  in  his  perfect  image,  that  has  been  attended  with 
an  endearment  and  oneness  of  heart  and  a  sweetness 
and  ravishment  of  soul  that  has  been  altogether  inex- 
pressible ;  the  strength  very  often  taken  away  with  long- 
ings that  others  might  love  God  more,  and  serve  God  bet- 
ter, and  have  more  of  his  comfortable  presence  than  the 
person  that  was  the  subject  of  these  longings,  desiring  to 
follow  the  whole  world  to  heaven,  or  that  every  one 
should  go  before  and  be  higher  in  grace  and  happiness, 
not  by  this  person's  diminution,  but  by  others'  increase  : 
a  delight  in  conversing  of  the  things  of  religion,  and  in 
seeing  christians  together  talking  of  the  most  spiritual 
and  heavenly  things  in  a  lively  and  feeling  manner,  and 
very  frequently  overcome  with  the  pleasure  of  such  con- 
versation :  a  great  sense  often  expressed  of  the  import- 
ance of  the  duty  of  charity  to  the  poor,  and  how  much 
the  generality  of  christians  come  short  in  the  practice  of 
it :  a  great  sense  of  the  need  God's  ministers  have  of 
much  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  at  this  day  especially ;  and 
most  earnest  longings  and  wrestlings  with  God  for  them, 
so  as  to  take  away  the  bodily  strength — 

The  greatest,  fullest,  longest-continued  and  most  con- 
stant assurance  of  the  favor  of  tirod,  and  of  a  title  to 
future  glory,  that  ever  I  saw  any  appearance  of  in  any 
person,  enjoying,  especially  of  late,  (to  use  the  person's 
own  expression,)  the  riches  of  full  assurance :  formerly 
longing  to  die  with  something  of  impatience,  but  lately, 
since  that  resignation  forementioned  about  three  years 
ago,  having  an  uninterrupted  entire  resignation  to  God 


172  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

with  respect  to  life  or  death,  sickness  or  health,  ease  or 
pain,  which  has  remained  unchanged  and  unshaken 
when  actually  under  extreme  and  violent  pains,  and  in 
times  of  theatenings  of  immediate  death  ;  but  though 
there  be  this  patience  and  submission,  yet  the  thoughts 
of  death  and  the  day  of  judgment  are  always  exceeding 
sweet  to  the  soul  :  this  resignation  is  also  attended  with 
a  constant  resignation  of  the  lives  of  dearest  earthly 
friends,  and  sometimes  when  some  of  their  lives  have 
been  imminently  threatened  ;  often  expressing  the  sweet- 
ness of  the  liberty  of  having  wholly  left  the  world  and 
renounced  all  for  God,  and  having  nothing  but  God,  in 
whom  is  an  infinite  fulness — 

These  things  have  been  attended  with  a  constant  sweet 
peace  and  calm  and  serenity  of  soul,  without  any  cloud 
to  interrupt  it ;  a  continual  rejoicing  in  all  the  works  of 
God's  hands,  the  works  of  nature,  and  God's  daily  works 
of  providence,  all  appearing  with  a  sweet  smile  upon 
them ;  a  wonderful  access  to  God  by  prayer,  as  it  were 
seeing  him,  and  sensibly  immediately  conversing  with 
him,  as  much  oftentimes  (to  use  the  person's  own  ex- 
pressions) as  if  Christ  were  here  on  earth,  sitting  on  a 
visible  throne,  to  be  approached  to  and  conversed  with ; 
frequent,  plain,  sensible  and  immediate  answers  of  pray- 
er ;  all  tears  wiped  away ;  all  former  troubles  and  sor- 
rows of  life  forgotten,  and  all  sorrow  and  sighing  fled 
away,  excepting  grief  for  past  sins  and  for  remaining 
corruption,  and  that  Christ  is  loved  no  more,  and  that 
God  is  no  more  honored  in  the  world,  and  a  compassion- 
ate grief  towards  fellow- creatures ;  a  daily  sensible  do- 
ing and  suffering  every  thing  for  God  for  a  long  time 
past,  eating  for  God,  and  working  for  God,  and  sleeping 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  173 

for  God,  and  bearing  pain  and  trouble  for  God,  and  do 
ing  all  as  the  service  of  love,  and  so  doing  it  v\^itli  a  con- 
tinual uninterrupted  cheerfulness,  peace  and  joy.  Oh 
how^  good,  said  the  person  once,  is  it  to  work  for  God  in 
the  day-time,  and  at  night  to  lie  down  under  his  smiles  ! 
high  experiences  and  religious  affections  in  this  person 
have  not  been  attended  with  any  disposition  to  neglect 
the  necessary  business  of  a  secular  calling,  to  spend  the 
time  in  reading  and  prayer,  and  other  exercises  of  devo- 
tion ;  but  worldly  business  has  been  attended  with  great 
alacrity,  as  part  of  the  service  of  God  :  the  person  declar- 
ing that  it  being  done  thus,  it  is  found  to  be  as  good  as 
prayer — 

These  things  have  been  accompanied  with  an  exceed- 
ing concern  and  zeal  for  moral  duties,  and  that  all  pro- 
fessors may  with  them  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  their 
Savior ;  and  an  uncommon  care  to  perform  relative  and 
social  duties,  and  a  noted  eminence  in  them  ;  a  great 
inoffensiveness  of  life  and  conversation  in  the  sight  of 
others;  a  great  meekness,  gentleness,  and  benevolence 
of  spirit  and  behavior  ;  and  a  great  alteration  in  those 
things  that  formerly  used  to  be  the  person's  failings  ; 
seeming  to  be  much  overcome  and  swallowed  up  by  the 
late  great  increase  of  grace,  to  the  observation  of  those 
that  are  most  conversant  and  most  intimately  acquainted  : 
in  times  of  the  brightest  light  and  highest  flights  of  love 
and  joy,  finding  no  disposition  to  any  opinion  of  being 
now  perfectly  free  from  sin,  (agreeably  to  the  notion  of 
some  high  pretenders  to  spirituality  in  these  days,)  but 
exceedingly  the  contrary  :  at  such  times  especially,  see- 
ing how  loathsome  and  polluted  the  soul  is,  soul  and 
body  and  every  act  and  word  appearing  like  rottenness 


174  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

and  corruption  in  that  pure  and  holy  light  of  God's 
glory;  not  slighting  instruction  or  means  of  grace  any 
more  for  having  had  great  discoveries  ;  on  the  contrary, 
never  more  sensible  of  the  need  of  instruction  than  now. 
And  one  thing  more  may  be  added,  that  these  things 
have  been  attended  w^ith  a  particular  dislike  of  placing 
religion  much  in  dress,  and  spending  much  zeal  about 
those  things  that  in  themselves  are  matters  of  indiffer- 
ence, or  an  affecting  to  show  humility  and  devotion  by  a 
mean  habit,  or  a  demure  and  melancholy  countenance, 
or  any  thing  singular  and  superstitious. 

6.   The  work  not  only  genuine^  but  glorious. 

Now  if  such  things  are  enthusiasm,  and  the  fruits  of  a 
distempered  brain,  let  my  brain  be  evermore  possessed 
of  that  happy  distemper  !  If  this  be  distraction,  I  pray 
God  that  the  world  of  mankind  may  be  all  seized  with 
this  benign,  meek,  beneficent,  beatifical,  glorious  distrac- 
tion !  If  agitations  of  body  were  found  in  the  French 
prophets,  and  ten  thousand  prophets  more,  it  is  little  to 
their  purpose  who  bring  it  as  an  objection  against  such 
a  work  as  this,  unless  their  purpose  be  to  disprove  the 
whole  of  the  christian  religion.  The  great  affections  and 
high  transports  that  others  have  lately  been  under,  are  in 
general  of  the  same  kind  with  those  in  the  instance  that 
has  been  given,  though  not  to  so  high  a  degree,  and 
many  of  them  not  so  pure  and  unmixed  and  so  well 
regulated.  I  have  had  opportunity  to  observe  many  in- 
stances here  and  elsewhere ;  and  though  there  are  some 
instances  of  great  affections  in  which  there  has  been  a 
great  mixture  of  nature  with  grace,  and  in  some  a  sad 
degenerating  of  religious  affections;  yet  there  is  such 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  175 

uniformity  observable,  that  it  is  easy  to  be  seen  that  in 
general  it  is  the  same  Spirit  from  whence  the  work  in  all 
parts  of  the  land  has  originated. 

And  what  notions  have  they  of  religion  who  reject 
what  has  been  described  as  not  true  religion  ]  What 
shall  we  find  to  answer  those  expressions  in  Scripture, 
"  The  peace  of  God  that  passeth  all  understanding  :  re- 
joicing with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory,  in  believ- 
ing and  loving  an  unseen  Savior  :  all  joy  and  peace  in 
believing  :  God's  shining  into  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ ;  with  open  face  beholding,  as  in  a  glass,  the  glory 
of  the  Lord,  and  being  changed  into  the  same  image, 
from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  : 
having  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  giveQ  to  us  :  liaving  the  Spirit  of  God  and 
of  glory  rest  upon  us  :  a  being  called  out  of  darkness 
into  marvellous  light ;  and  having  the  day-star  arise  in 
our  hearts  :"  I  say,  if  those  things  that  have  been  men- 
tioned do  not  answer  these  expressions,  what  else  can 
we  find  out  that  does  answer  them  1  Those  that  do  not 
think  such  things  as  these  to  be  the  fruits  of  the  true 
Spirit,  would  do  well  to  consider  what  kind  of  spirit 
they  are  waiting  and  praying  for,  and  what  sort  of  fruits 
they  expect  he  should  produce  when  he  comes.  I  sup- 
pose it  will  generally  be  allowed  that  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  a  glorious  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  be 
expected,  to  introduce  very  joyful  and  glorious  times  in 
religion ;  times  wherein  holy  love  and  joy  will  be  raised 
to  a  great  height  in  true  christians  :  but  if  those  things 
that  have  been  mentioned  be  rejected,  what  is  left  that 
we  can  find  wherewith  to  patch  up  a  notion  or  form  an 


176  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

idea  of  tlie  liigli,  blessed,  joyful  religion  of  those  times  1 
What  is  it  that  any  have  a  notion  of,  that  is  very  sweet, 
excellent  and  joyful,  of  a  religious  nature,  that  is  entirely 
of  a  different  nature  from  these  things  1 

Those  that  are  vs^aiting  for  t?i,e  fruits  in  order  to  deter- 
mine whether  this  be  the  work  of  God,  would  do  well 
to  consider  two  things  : 

1.  What  they  are  waiting  for  :  whether  it  be  not  this  ; 
to  have  this  wonderful  religious  influence  that  is  on  the 
minds  of  people  over  and  past,  and  then  to  see  how  they 
will  behave  themselves.  That  is,  to  have  grace  subside, 
and  the  actings  of  it  in  a  great  measure  cease,  and  to 
have  persons  grow  cold  and  dead,  and  then  to  see  wheth- 
er after  that  they  will  behave  themselves  with  such  exact- 
ness and  brightness  of  conversation  as  is  to  be  expected 
of  lively  Christians,  or  those  that  are  in  the  vigorous  ex- 
ercises of  grace.  There  are  many  that  will  not  be  satis- 
fied with  any  exactness  or  laboriousness  in  religion  now, 
while  persons  have  their  minds  much  moved  and  their 
affections  are  high  ;  for  they  lay  it  to  their  flash  of  affec- 
tion and  heat  of  zeal,  as  they  call  it ;  they  are  waiting 
to  see  whether  they  will  carry  themselves  as  well  when 
these  affections  are  over  :  that  is,  they  are  waiting  to 
have  persons  sicken  and  lose  their  strength,  that  they 
may  see  whether  they  will  then  behave  themselves  like 
healthy  strong  men.  I  would  desire  that  they  w^ould  also 
consider  whether  they  be  not  waiting  for  more  than  is 
reasonably  to  be  expected,  supposing  this  to  be  reall}^  a 
great  work  of  God,  and  much  more  than  has  been  found 
in  former  great  outpourings  of  the  Spirit  of  God  that 
have  been  universally  acknowledged  in  the  christian 
church  %  Do  not  they  expect  fewer  instances  of  apostacy 


IN   NEW    ENGLAND.  177 

and  evidences  of  hypocrisy  in  professors,  and  those  that 
for  the  present  seem  to  be  under  the  influences  of  the 
Spirit,  than  were  after  that  great  outpouring  of  the  Spirit 
in  the  apostles'  days,  or  that  which  was  in  the  time  of 
the  Reformation  1  And  do  not  they  stand  prepared  to 
make  a  mighty  argument  of  it  against  this  work,  if  there 
should  be  half  so  many  1    And, 

2.  They  would  do  well  to  consider  hoio  long  they  will 
wait  to  see  the  good  fruit  of  this  work  before  they  will 
determine  in  favor  of  it.  Is  not  their  waiting  unlimited  1 
The  visible  fruit  that  is  to  be  expected  of  a  pouring  out 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  a  country,  is  a  visible  reformation 
in  that  country :  how  great  a  reformation  has  lately  been 
brought  to  pass  in  New  England  by  this  work,  has  been 
before  observed.  And  has  it  not  continued  long  enough 
already  to  give  reasonable  satisfaction  ]  If  God  cannot 
work  on  the  hearts  of  a  people  after  such  a  manner  as 
to  show  his  hand  so  plainly  as  reasonably  to  expect  it 
should  be  acknowledged  in  a  year  and  a  half  or  two 
years'  time  ;  yet  surely  it  is  unreasonable  that  our  ex- 
pectations and  demands  should  be  unlimited,  and  our 
waiting  without  any  bounds. 

As  there  is  the  clearest  evidence,  from  those  things 
that  have  been  observed,  that  this  is  the  work  of  God,  so 
it  is  evident  that  it  is  a  very  great,  and  wonderful,  and  ex- 
ceedingly glorious  work  of  God.  This  is  certain,  that  it 
is  a  great  and  wonderful  event,  a  strange  revolution,  an 
unexpected,  surprising  overturning  of  things  suddenly 
brought  to  pass;  such  as  never  has  been  seen  in  New 
England,  and  scarce  ever  has  been  heard  of  in  any  land. 
Who  that  saw  the  state  of  things  in  New  England  a  few 
years  ago,  the  state  of  things  which  had  become  settled, 

8* 


178  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

and  the  way  that  we  had  been  so  long  going  on  in,  would 
have  thought  that  in  so  little  a  time  there  would  be  such 
a  change  ]  This  is  undoubtedly  either  a  very  great  work 
of  God,  or  a  great  work  of  the  devil,  as  to  the  main  sub- 
stance of  it.  For  though,  undoubtedly,  God  and  the  devil 
may  work  together  at  the  same  time  and  in  the  same 
land  ;  and  when  God  is  at  work,  especially  if  he  be  very 
remarkably  at  work,  Satan  will,  to  his  utmost  endeavor, 
intrude,  and  by  intermingling  his  work,  darken  and 
hinder  God's  work ;  yet  God  and  the  devil  do  not  work 
together  in  producing  the  same  event,  and  in  effecting 
the  same  change  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  men  :  but  it  is 
apparent  that  there  are  some  things  wherein  the  main 
substance  of  this  work  consists,  a  certain  effect  that  is 
produced  and  alteration  that  is  made  in  the  apprehen- 
sions, affections,  dispositions  and  behavior  of  men,  in 
which  there  is  a  likeness  and  agreement  every  where : 
now  this,  I  say,  is  either  a  wonderful  work  of  God,  or  a 
mighty  work  of  the  devil  ;  and  so  is  either  a  most  happy 
event,  greatly  to  be  admired  and  rejoiced  in,  or  a  most 
awful  calamity.  Therefore  if  what  has  been  said  be  suf- 
ficient to  determine  it  to  be,  as  to  the  main,  the  work  of 
God,  then  it  must  be  acknowledged  to  be  a  very  wonder- 
ful and  glorious  work  of  God. 

Such  a  work  is,  in  its  nature  and  kind,  the  most  glorious 
of  any  work  of  God  whatsoever ;  and  is  always  so  spo- 
ken of  in  Scripture.  It  is  the  work  of  redemption  (the 
great  end  of  all  other  works  of  God,  and  of  which  the 
work  of  creation  was  but  a  shadow,)  in  the  event,  success 
and  end  of  it :  it  is  the  work  of  new  creation,  that  is  in- 
finitely more  glorious  that  the  old.  I  am  bold  to  say 
that  the  work  of  God  in  the  conversion  of  one  soul,  con- 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  179 

Bidered  together  with  the  source,  foundation  and  pur- 
chase of  it,  and  also  the  benefit,  end  and  eternal  issue  of 
it,  is  a  more  glorious  work  of  God  than  the  creation  of 
the  whole  material  universe  ;  it  is  the  most  glorious  of 
God's  works,  as  it  above  all  others  manifests  the  glory  of 
God.  It  is  spoken  of  in  Scripture  as  that  which  shows 
the  exceeding  greatness  of  God^s  power^  and  the  glory  and 
riches  of  divine  grace,  and  wherein  Christ  has  the  most 
glorious  triumph  over  his  enemies,  and  wherein  God  is 
mightily  exalted  :  and  it  is  a  work  above  all  others  glo- 
rious, as  it  concerns  the  happiness  of  mankind ;  more 
happiness  and  a  greater  benefit  to  man  is  the  fruit  of 
each  single  drop  of  such  a  shower,  than  all  the  temporal 
good  of  the  most  happy  revolution  in  a  land  or  nation 
amounts  to,  or  all  that  a  people  could  gain  by  the  con- 
quest of  the  world. 

And  as  this  work  is  very  glorious  in  its  nature,  so  it  is 
in  its  degree  and  circumstances.  It  will  appear  very  glori- 
ous, if  we  consider  the  unworthiness  of  the  people  that 
are  the  subjects  of  it ;  what  obligations  God  has  laid  us 
under  by  the  special  privileges  we  have  enjoyed  for  our 
souls'  good,  and  the  great  things  God  did  for  us  at  our 
first  settlement  in  che  land ;  and  how  he  has  followed  us 
with  his  goodness  to  this  day,  and  how  we  have  abused 
his  goodness  :  how  long  we  have  been  revolting  more  and 
more,  (as  all  confess,)  and  how  very  corrupt  we  were  be- 
come at  last ;  in  how  great  a  degree  we  had  cast  off  God 
and  forsaken  the  fountain  of  living  waters  :  how  obstinate 
we  have  been  under  all  manner  of  means  that  God  has 
used  with  us  to  reclaim  us  ;  how  often  we  have  mocked 
God  with  hypocritical  pretences  of  humiliation,  as  in  our 
annual  days  of  public  fasting  and  other  things,  while,  in- 


180  REVIVAL    OF    RELIGION 

Stead  of  reforming,  we  only  grevir  vi^orse  and  vv^orse  ;  liow 
dead  a  time  it  was  every  where  before  this  work  began 

if  we  consider  these  things,  we  shall  be  most  stupidly 

ungrateful  if  we  do  not  acknowledge  God's  visiting  of 
us  as  he  has  done,  as  an  instance  of  the  glorious  triumph 
of  free  and  sovereign  grace. 

The  work  is  very  glorious,  if  we  consider  the  exterit  of 
it ;  being  in  this  respect  vastly  beyond  any  former  out- 
pouring of  the  Spirit  that  ever  was  known  in  New  Eng- 
land. There  has  formerly  sometimes  been  a  remarkable 
awakening  and  success  of  the  means  of  grace  in  some 
particular  congregation ;  and  this  used  to  be  much  taken 
notice  of  and  acknowledged  to  be  glorious,  though  the 
towns  and  congregations  round  about  continued  dead  ; 
but  now  God  has  brought  to  pass  a  new  thing,  he  has 
wrought  a  great  work  of  this  nature  that  has  extended 
from  one  end  of  the  land  to  the  other,  besides  what  has 
been  wrought  in  other  British  Colonies  in  America. 

The  work  is  very  glorious  in  the  great  numhers  that 
have,  to  appearance,  been  t\3rned  from  sin  to  God,  and  so 
delivered  from  a  wretched  captivity  to  sin  and  Satan, 
saved  from  everlasting  burnings  and  made  heirs  of  eter- 
nal glory.  How  high  an  honor  and  great  reward  of  their 
labors  have  some  eminent  persons  of  note  in  the  church 
of  God  signified  that  they  should  esteem  it,  if  they  should 
be  made  the  instruments  of  the  conversion  and  eternal 
salvation  of  but  one  soul !  And  no  greater  event  than 
that  is  thought  worthy  of  great  notice  in  heaven  among 
the  hosts  of  glorious  angels  who  rejoice  and  sing  on  such 
an  occasion ;  and  when  there  are  many  thousands  of 
souls  thus  converted  and  saved,  shall  it  be  esteemed 
worth  but  little  notice,  and   be  mentioned  with  coldness 


1 


IN    NEW    ENGLAND.  181 

and  indifference  here  on  earth  by  those  among  whom 
such  a  work  is  wrought  ] 

The  work  has  been  very  glorious  and  wonderful  in 
many  circumstances  and  events  of  it  that  have  been  ex- 
traordinary, wherein  God  has  in  an  uncommon  manner 
made  his  hand  visible  and  his  power  conspicuous  ;  as  in 
the  extraordinary  degrees  of  awakening,  the  suddenness 
of  conversions  in  innumerable  instances,  in  which,  thouo-h 
the  work  was  quick,  yet  the  thing  wrought  is  manifestly 
durable.  How  common  a  thing  has  it  been  for  a  great 
part  of  a  congregation  to  be  at  once  moved  by  a  mighty 
invisible  power ;  and  for  six,  eight  or  ten  souls  to  be  con- 
verted to  God  (to  all  appearance)  in  an  exercise,  in 
whom  the  visible  change  still  continues  !  How  great 
an  alteration  has  been  made  in  some  towns,  yea,  some 
populous  towns;  the  change  still  abiding!  And  how 
many  very  vicious  persons  have  been  wrought  upon,  so 
as  to  become  visibly  new  creatures  !  God  has  also  made 
his  hand  very  visible  and  his  work  glorious  in  the  multi- 
tudes of  little  children  that  have  been  wrought  upon  :  I 
suppose  there  have  been  some  hundreds  of  instances  of 
this  nature  of  late,  any  one  of  which  formerly  would 
have  been  looked  upon  so  remarkable  as  to  be  worthy 
to  be  recorded  and  published  through  the  land.  The 
work  is  very  glorious  in  its  influences  and  effects  on 
many  that  have  been  very  ignorant  and  barbarous,  as  I 
before  observed  of  the  Indians  and  Negroes. 

The  work  is  also  exceeding  glorious  in  the  high  attain- 
ments of  christians,  in  the  extraordinary  degrees  of  light, 
love  and  spiritual  joy  that  God  has  bestowed  upon  great 
multitudes.  In  this  respect,  also,  the  land  in  all  parts  has 
abounded  with  such  instances,  any  one  of  which  if  they 


182  REVIVAL    IN   NEW    ENGLAND. 

had  happened  formerly  would  have  been  thought  worthy 
to  be  taken  notice  of  by  God's  people  throughout  the 
British  dominions.  The  new  Jerusalem  in  this  respect 
has  begun  to  come  down  from  heaven,  and  perhaps  never 
were  more  of  the  prelibations  of  heaven's  glory  given 
upon  earth. 

There  being  a  great  many  errors  and  sinful  irregu- 
larities mixed  with  this  work  of  God,  arising  from  our 
weakness,  darkness  and  corruption,  does  not  hinder  this 
work  of  God's  power  and  grace  from  being  very  glorious. 
Our  follies  and  sins  that  we  mix,  do  in  some  respects 
manifest  the  glory  of  it :  the  glory  of  divine  power  and 
grace  is  set  off  with  the  greater  lustre  by  what  appears 
at  the  same  time  of  the  weakness  of  the  earthen  vessel. 
It  is  God's  pleasure  that  there  should  be  something  re- 
markable to  manifest  the  weakness  and  un worthiness  of 
the  subject,  at  the  same  time  that  he  displays  the  excel- 
lency of  his~  power  and  the  riches  of  his  grace.  And  I 
doubt  not  but  some  of  those  things  that  make  some  of  us 
here  on  earth  to  be  out  of  humor,  and  to  look  on  this 
work  with  a  sour,  displeased  countenance,  do  heighten  the 
songs  of  the  angels  when  they  praise  God  and  the  Lamb 
for  what  they  see  of  the  glory  of  God's  all-sufficiency 
and  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  redemption.  And  how  un- 
reasonable is  it  that  we  should  be  backward  to  acknow- 
ledge the  glory  of  what  God  has  done,  because  withal 
the  devil,  and  we  in  hearkening  to  him,  have  done  a 
great  deal  of  mischief! 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  183 


PART   II 


SHOWING  THE  OBLIGATIONS  THAT  ALL  ARE  UNDER  TO 
ACKNOWLEDGE,  REJOICE  IN,  AND  PROMOTE  THIS  WORK, 
AND    THE    GREAT    DANGER    OP    THE    CONTRARY. 


1.   The  danger  of  being  sloiu  to  acknowledge  the  work 
of  God. 

There  are  many  things  in  the  word  of  God  which 
show  that  when  God  remarkably  appears  in  any  great 
work  for  his  church,  and  against  his  enemies,  it  is  a  most 
dangerous  thing,  and  highly  provoking  to  God,  to  he  slow 
and  backward  to  acknowledge  and  honor  God  in  the  work, 
and  to  lie  still  and  not  give  a  helping  hand.  Christ's 
people  are  in  Scripture  represented  as  his  army  ;  he  is 
the  Lord  of  hosts  or  armies  :  he  is  the  Captain  of  the  host 
of  the  Lord,  as  be  called  himself  when  he  appeared  to 
Joshua  with  a  sword  drawn  in  his  hand.  Josh.  5  :  13,  14, 
15.  He  is  the  Captain  of  his  people's  salvation  ;  and  there- 
fore it  may  well  be  highly  resented  if  they  do  not  resort 
to  him  when  he  orders  his  banner  to  be  displayed  ;  or  if 
they  refuse  to  follow  him  when  he  blows  the  trumpet 
and  gloriously  appears  going  forth  against  his  enemies. 
God  expects  that  every  living  soul  should  have  his  at- 
tention roused  on  such  an  occasion,  and  should  most 
cheerfully  yield  to  the  call,  and  heedfully  and  diligently 
obey  it :  *'  All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world  and  dwellers 


184  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

on  the  earth,  see  ye,  when  he  lifteth  up  an  ensign  on  the 
mountains  ;  and  when  he  bloweth  a  trumpet,  hear  ye." 
Isa.  18  : 3. 

Especially   should  all  Israel  be    gathered    after  their 
Captain,  as  we  read  they  were  after  Ehud,  when  he  blew 
the  trumpet  in  mount  Ephraim  when  he  had  slain  Eglon, 
king  of  Moab.  Judg.  3  :  27,  28.    How  severe  is  the  mar- 
tial law  in  such  a  case,  when  any  one  of  an  army  refuses     > 
to  obey  the  sound  of  a  trumpet  and  follow  his  general     s^ 
to  the  battle  !    God  at  such  a  time  appears  in  peculiar    S' 
manifestations    of  his    glory ;    and    therefore    not  to  be     ;3^ 
affected    and    animated,   and   to  lie  still    and    refuse  to 
follow  God,  will  be  resented  as  a  high  contempt  of  him.  -^  *" 
If  a  subject  should  stand  by  and  be  a  spectator  of  the 
solemnity  of  his  prince's  coronation,  and  should  appear 
silent  and  sullen  when  all  the  multitude  were  testifying 
their  loyalty  and  joy  with  loud  acclamations  ;  how  great- 
ly would  he  expose  himself  to  be  treated  as  a  rebel,  and 
quickly  to  perish  by  the  authority  of  the  prince  that  he 
refuses  to  honor ! 

At  a  time  when  God  manifests  himself  in  such  a  great 
work  for  his  church,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  being  ncu^  ^-^ 
tral ;  there  is  a  necessity  of  being  either  for  or  against 
the  King  that  then  gloriously  appears.  As  when  a  king 
is  crowned,  and  there  are  public  manifestations  of  joy  on 
that  occasion,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  standing  by  as  an 
indifferent  spectator;  all  must  appear  as  loyal  subjects, 
and  express  their  joy  on  that  occasion,  or  be  accounted 
enemies  :  so  it  always  is  when  God,  in  any  great  dispen- 
sation of  his  providence,  does  remarkably  set  his  King 
on  his  holy  hill  of  Zion,  and  Christ  in  an  extraordinary 
manner  comes  down  from  heaven  to  the  earth,  and  ap- 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  185 

pears  in  his  visible  church  in  a  great  work  of  salvation 
for  his  people.  So  it  vv^as  w^hen  Christ  came  down  from 
heaven  in  his  incarnation,  and  appeared  on  earth  in  his 
human  presence ;  there  was  no  such  thing  as  being  neu- 
tral, neither  on  his  side  nor  against  him  :  those  that  sat 
still  and  said  nothing,  and  did  not  declare  for  him,  and 
come  and  join  with  him,  after  he,  by  his  word  and  works, 
had  given  sufficient  evidence  who  he  was,  were  justly- 
looked  upon  as  his  enemies ;  as  Christ  says,  Matt.  --" 
12  :  30,  **  He  that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me ;  and  he 
that  gathereth  not  with  me,  scattereth  abroad."  So  it  is 
in  a  time  when  Christ  is  remarkably  present  spiritually, 
as  well  as  when  he  is  present  bodily;  and  when  he 
comes  to  carry  on  the  work  of  redemption  in  the  appli- 
cation of  it,  as  well  as  in  the  revelation  and  purchase. 

If  a  king  should  come  into  one  of  his  provinces  that 
had  been  oppressed  by  its  foes,  where  some  of  his  sub- 
jects had  fallen  off  to  the  enemy  and  joined  them  against 
their  lawful  sovereign  and  his  loyal  subjects  ;  I  say,  if 
the  lawful  sovereign  himself  should  come  into  the  pro- 
vince, and  should  ride  forth  there  against  his  enemies, 
and  should  call  upon  all  that  were  on  his  side  to  come 
and  gather  themselves  to  him  ;  there  would  be  no  such 
thing,  in  such  a  case,  as  standing  neutral  :  they  that  lay 
still  and  staid  at  a  distance  would  undoubtedly  be  looked 
upon  and  treated  as  rebels.  So  in  the  day  of  battle,  when 
two  armies  join,  there  is  no  such  thing  for  any  present  as 
being  of  neither  party,  all  must  be  on  one  side  or  the 
other ;  and  they  that  are  not  found  with  the  conqueror  in 
such  a  case,  must  expect  to  have  his  weapons  turned 
against  them,  and  to  fall  with  the  rest  of  his  enemies. 

When  God  manifests  himself  with  such  glorious  powerl/^ 


186  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

in  a  work  of  this  nature,  he    appears  especially  deter- 
mined to  put  honor  upon  his  Son,  and  to  fulfil  his  oath 
I    that  he  has  sworn  to  him,  that  he  would  make  every  knee 
)    to  bow  and  every  tongue  to  confess   to  him.     God  hath 
had  it  much  on  his  heart,  from  all  eternity,  to  glorify  his 
dear  and  only  begotten  Son  ;   and  there  are  some  special 
/     seasons  that  he  appoints  to  that  end,  wherein  he  comes 
forth  with  omnipotent  power  to  fulfil  his  promise  and 
oath  to  him  ;  and  these  times  are  times  of  the  remarka- 
ble pouring  out  of  his  Spirit,  to  advance  his  kingdom. 
Such  a  day  is  a  day  of  his  power,  wherein  his  people 
shall  be  made  willing,  and  he  shall  rule  in  the  midst  of 
his  enemies  ;  these  especially  are  the  times  wherein  God 
declares  his  firm  decree  that  his  Son  shall  reign  on  his 
holy  hill  of  Zion ;   and  therefore  those  that  at  such  a  time 
^  do  not  kiss  the  Son,  as  he  then  manifests  himself  and  ap- 
pears  in  the  glory  of  his  majesty  and  grace,  expose  them- 
selves to  j^erish  from  the  ^oay,  and  to  be  dashed  in  pieces 
with  a  rod  of  iron. 

As  at  such  a  time  God  eminently  sets  his  King  on  his 
holy  hill  of  Zion,  so  it  is  a  time  wherein  he  remarkably 
fulfils  the  prophecy,  Isa.  28  :  16,  '*  Therefore  thus  saith 
the  Lord  God,  Behold,  I  lay  in  Zion  for  a  foundation,  a 
stone,  a  tried  stone,  a  precious  corner  stone,  a  sure  foun- 
dation ;"  which  the  two  apostles,  Peter  and  Paul,  (1  Pet. 
2  :  6,  7,  8,  and  Rom.  9  :  33)  join  with  the  prophecy,  Isa. 
8 :  14,  15,  "  And  he  shall  be  for  a  sanctuary ;  but  for  a 
stone  of  stumbling  and  for  a  rock  of  offence  to  both  the 
houses  of  Israel,  for  a  gin  and  for  a  snare  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Jerusalem  :  and  many  among  them  shall  stumble 
and  fall,  and  be  broken,  and  be  snared  and  taken  " — sig- 
nifying that  both  are  fulfilled  together:    yea,  both  are 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  18T 

joined  together  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  himself;  as  you 
may  see  in  the  context  of  the  passage  first  cited.  In  verse 
13,  preceding,  it  is  said,  **  But  the  word  of  the  Lord  was 
unto  them  precept  upon  precept,  precept  upon  precept ; 
Hnc  upon  line,  line  upon  line  ;  here  a  little  and  there  a 
little,  that  they  might  go,  and  fall  backward,  and  be  bro-^ 
ken,  and  snared  and  taken,"  Accordingly  it  always  is  so, 
that  when  Christ  is  in  a  peculiar  and  eminent  manner 
manifested  and  magnified,  by  a  glorious  work  of  God  in 
his  church,  as  a  foundation  and  sanctuary  for  some,  he  is 
remarkably  a  stone  of  stumbling  and  a  rock  of  ••offence,  a 
gin  and  a  snare  to  others.  They  that  continue  long  to 
stumble  and  be  offended  and  ensnared  in  their  minds  at 
such  a  great  and  glorious  work  of  Christ  in  God's  ac- 
count stumble  at  Christ  and  are  offended  in  him  ;  for  the 
work  is  that  by  which  he  makes  Christ  manifest  and 
shows  his  glory,  and  by  which  he  makes  the  stone  that  the 
builders  refused  to  become  the  head  of  the  corner.  This 
shows  how  dangerous  it  is  to  continue  always  stumbling 
at  such  a  work,  for  ever  doubting  of  it,  and  forbearing 
fully  to  acknowledge  it  and  give  God  the  glory  of  it. 
Such  persons  are  in  danger  to  go,  and  fall  backward,  and 
be  broken,  and  snared  and  takeri,  and  to  have  Christ  a 
stone  of  stumbling  to  them,  that  shall  be  an  occasion  of 
their  ruin  ;  while  he  is  to  others  a^  sanctuary  and  a  sure 
foundation. 

The  prophet  Isaiah,  29  :  14,  speaks  of  God's  proceed- 
ing ta  do  a  marvellous  work  and  a  wonder,  which  should 
stumble  and  confound  the  wisdom  of  the  wise  and  pru- 
dent; which  the  apostle,  in  Acts,  13  :  41,  applies  to  the 
glorious  work  of  salvation  wrought  in  those  days  by  the 
redemption  of  Christ,  and  the  glorious  outpouring  of  the 


188  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

Spirit  to  apply  it  that  foUov^^ed ;  the  prophet,  in  the  con- 
r  text,  speaking  of  the  same  thing,  and  of  the  prophets  and 
j  rulers  and  seers,  those  wise  and  prudent  vv^hose  eyes  God 
'f  had  closed,  says  to  them,  verse  9,  "  Stay  yourselves  and 
wonder."    In  the  original  it  is.  Be  ye  slow  and  luonder.    I 
leave  it  to  others  to  consider  w^hether  it  is  not  natural  to 
interpret  it  thus,  "  Wonder  at  this  marvellous  work  ;  let 
it  be  a  strange  thing,  a  great  mystery  that  you  know  not 
what  to  make  of,  and  that  you  are  very  slow  and  back- 
ward to  acknowledge,  long  delaying  to  come  to  a  deter- 
mination concerning  it."    And  what  persons  are  in  dan- 
Ager  of  that  wonder,  and  are  thus  slow  to  acknowledge 
God  in  such  a  work,  we  learn  by  the  apostle,  Acts,  13  : 
<     41,   "  Behold,  ye  despisers,  and  wonder  and  perish  ;  for 
/     I  work  a  work  in  your  days,  a  work  which  you  shall  in  no 
^^  wise  believe  though  a  man  declare  it  unto  you." 

The  church  of  Christ  is  called  upon  greatly  to  rejoice 
when  at  any  time  Christ  remarkably  appears  coming  to 
his  church  to  carry  on  the  work  of  salvation,  to  enlarge 
his  own  kingdom,  and  to  deliver  poor  souls  out  of  the  pit 
wherein  there  is  no  water,  Zech.  9  :  9,  JO,  11  :  "  Rejoice 
greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion,  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jeru- 
salem ;  behold  thy  king  cometh  unto  thee  ;  he  is  just  and 
having  salvation.  His  dominion  shall  be  from  sea  to  sea. 
As  for  thee  also,  by  the  blood  of  thy  covenant  I  have  sent 
forth  thy  prisoners  out  of  the  pit  wherein  is  no  water." 
Christ  was  pleased  to  give  a  notable  typical  or  symboli- 
cal representation  of  such  a  great  event  as  is  spoken  of  in 
this  prophecy,  in  his  solemn  entry  into  the  literal  Jerusa- 
lem, which  was  a  type  of  the  church  or  daughter  of  Zion 
there  spoken  of;  probably  intending  it  as  a  figure  and 
prelude  of  the  great  actual  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy  that 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  189 

was  to  be  after  his  ascension,  by  the  pouring  out  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  and  the  more  full  ac- 
complishment that  should  be  in  the  latter  ages  of  the 
christian  church. 

We  have  an  account,  that  when  Christ  made  this  his 
solemn  entry  into  Jerusalem,  and  the  whole  multitude  of 
the  disciples  were  rejoicing  and  praising  God  with  loud 
voices  for  all  the  mighty  works  that  they  had  seen,  the 
Pharisees  from  among  the  multitude  said  to  Christ,  Mas- 
ter,  rebuke  thy  disciples  ;  but  we  are  told,  Luke,  19  :  39, 
40,  Christ  "  answered  and  said  unto  them,  I  tell  you, 
that  if  these  should  hold  their  peace,  the  stones  would 
immediately  cry  out:"  signifying,  that  if  Christ's  pro- 
fessing disciples  should  be  unaffected  on  such  an  occasion, 
and  should  not  appear  openly  to  acknowledge  and  rejoice 
in  the  glory  of  God  therein  appearing,  it  would  manifest 
such  fearful  hardness  of  heart,  so  exceeding  that  of  the'^ 
stones,  that  the  very  stones  would  condemn  them.  Should 
not  this  make  those  consider,  who  have  held  their  peace 
so  long  since  Christ  has  come  to  our  Zion  having  salva- 
tion, and  so  wonderfully  manifested  his  glory  in  this 
mighty  work  of  his  Spirit,  and  so  many  of  his  disciples 
have  been  rejoicing  and  praising  God  with  loud  voices  % 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that  so  great  and  wonderful 
a  work  of  God's  Spirit  is  a  work  wherein  God's  hand  is 
remarkably  lifted  up,  and  wherein  he  displays  his  ma- 
jesty, and  shows  great  favor  and  mercy  to  sinners  in  the 
glorious  opportunity  he  gives  them  ;  and  by  which  he 
makes  our  land  to  become  much  more  a  land  of  upright- 
ness ;  therefore  that  place,  Isa.  26:  10,  11,  shows  the 
great  danger  of  not  seeing  God's  hand  and  acknowledg- 
ing his  glory  and  majesty  in  such  a  work :  "Let  favor  _. 


190  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

be  shown  to  the  vv^icked,  yet  w^ill  he  not  learn  righteous- 
ness ;  in  the  land  of  uprightness  he  v^^ill  deal  unjustly, 
and  will  not  behold  the  majesty  of  the  Lord.  Lord,  when 
thy  hand  is  lifted  up  they  will  not  see ;  but  they  shall 
see,  and  be  ashamed  for  their  envy  at  the  people  ;  yea, 
the  fire  of  thine  enemies  shall  devour  them." 

2.  Reasons  Jor  believing  that  the  great  work  of  God  for  the 
world's  conversion  may  hegin  in  America. 

It  is  not  unlikely  that  this  work  of  God's  Spirit  which 
is  so  extraordinary  and  wonderful,  is  the  dawning,  or  at 
least  a  prelude  of  that  glorious  work  of  God  so  often 
foretold  in  Scripture,  which  in  the  progress  and  issue  of 
it  shall  renew  the  loorld  of  mankind.  If  we  consider  how 
long  since  the  things  foretold  as  what  should  precede 
this  great  event  have  been  accomplished  ;  and  how  long 
this  event  has  been  expected  by  the  church  of  God,  and 
thought  to  be  nigh  by  the  most  eminent  men  of  God  in 
the  church  ;  and  withal  consider  what  the  state  of  things 
now  is,  and  has  for  a  considerable  time  been,  in  the 
church  of  God  and  the  world  of  mankind,  we  cannot 
reasonably  think  otherwise  than  that  the  beginning  of 
this  great  work  of  God  must  be  near. 

And  there  are  many  things  that  make  it  probable  that 
this  work  will  begin  in  America.  It  is  signified  that  it  shall 
begin  in  some  very  remote  part  of  the  world,  that  the 
rest  of  the  world  have  no  communication  with  but  by 
navigation,  in  Isa.  GO  :  9  ;  "  Surely  the  Isles  will  wait  for 
me,  and  the  ships  of  Tarshish  first,  to  bring  my  sons 
from  far."  It  is  exceeding  manifest  that  this  chapter  is  a 
prophecy  of  the  prosperity  of  the  church  in  its  most  glo- 
rious  state  on  earth  in  the  latter   days ;    and  I  cannot 


OBLIGATIONS    TO   PROMOTE    IT.  191 

think  that  any  thing  else  can  be  here  intended  but 
America,  by  the  isles  that  are  afar  off,  from  whence  the 
first  born  sons  of  that  glorious  day  shall  be  brought. 
Indeed  by  the  Isles,  in  prophecies  of  gospel  times,  is 
very  often  meant  Europe :  it  is  so  in  prophecies  of  that 
great  spreading  of  the  Gospel  that  should  be  soon  after 
Christ's  time,  because  it  was  far  separated  from  that  part 
of  the  world  where  the  church  of  God  had  until  then 
been  by  the  sea.  But  this  prophecy  cannot  have  respect 
to  the  conversion  of  Europe  in  the  time  of  that  great 
work  of  God  in  the  primitive  ages  of  the  christian 
church ;  for  it  was  not  fulfilled  then  :  the  isles  and  ships 
of  Tarshish,  thus  understood,  did  not  wait  for  God  first  ; 
that  glorious  work  did  not  begin  in  Europe,  but  in  Jeru- 
salem, and  had  for  a  considerable  time  been  very  won- 
derfully carried  on  in  Asia  before  it  reached  Europe. 
And  as  it  is  not  that  work  of  God  that  is  chiefly  intended 
in  this  chapter,  but  that  more  glorious  work  that  should 
be  in  the  latter  ages  of  the  christian  church,  therefore 
some  other  part  of  the  world  is  here  intended  by  the 
Isles,  that  should  be,  as  Europe  then  was,  far  separated 
from  that  part  of  the  world  where  the  church  had  be- 
fore been  by  the  sea,  and  with  which  it  can  have  no 
communication  but  by  the  ships  of  Tarshish.  What  is  — 
chiefly  intended  is  not  the  British , Isles,  nor  any  isles 
near  the  other  continent ;  for  they  are  spoken  of  as  at  a 
great  distance  from  that  part  of  the  world  where  the 
church  had  till  then  been.  This  prophecy  therefore 
seems  plainly  to  point  out  America  as  the  first  fruits  of  / 
that  glorious  day. 

God  has  made  as  it  were  two  worlds  here  below,  the  old 
and  the  new  (according  to  the  names  they  are  now  called 


,.--f" 


xl/^'^ffrJ       192  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    HEVIVAL. 

Zff^     ^'  by,)  two  great  habitable    continents,  far  separated  one 
^Q^  from  the  other.     The  latter  is  but  newly  discovered  ;  it 

e^  was  formerly  wholly  unknown  from  age  to  age,  and  is 

.y  H^^"^^  ^^  ^^  were  now  but  newly  created ;  it  has  been,  until  of 
1^''  jjf/  C^dle,  wholly  the  possession  of  Satan,  the  church  of  God 
%^^ ^r"  'having  never  been  in  it,  as  it  has  been  in  the  other  con- 
y  ^  _^P«  •  tinent  from  the  beginning  of  the  world.  This  new  world 
o^  is  probably  now  discovered,  that  the  new  and  most  glori- 

ous state  of  God's  church  on  earth  might  commence 
there ;  that  God  might  in  it  begin  a  new  world  in  a 
spiritual  respect,  when  he  creates  the  neiv  heavens  and 
new  earth. 

God  has  already  put  that  honor  upon  the  other  conti- 
nent, that  Christ  was  born  there  literally,  and  there  made 
the  purchase  of  redemption  :  so,  as  Providence  observes  a 
kind  of  equal  distribution  of  things,  it  is  not  unlikely  that 
the  great  spiritual  birth  of  Christ  and  the  most  glorious 
■aK'  application  of  redemption  is  to  begin  in  this  :  as  the  elder 

y   f-\  sister  brought  forth  Judah,  of  whom  came  Christ,  and  so 

**.  i.i  she  was  the  mother  of  Christ;  but  the  younger  sister, 

after  long  barrenness,  brought  forth  Joseph  and  Benja- 
min, the  beloved  children — Joseph,  that  had  the  most 
glorious  apparel,  the  coat  of  many  colors,  who  was  sepa- 
rated from  his  brethren,  and  was  exalted  to  such  glory 
out  of  a  dark  dungeon,  and  fed  and  saved  the  world 
when  ready  to  perish  with  famine,  and  was  as  a  fruitful 
bough  by  a  well,  whose  branches  ran  over  the  wall,  and 
was  blessed  with  all  manner  of  blessings  and  precious 
things  of  heaven  and  earth,  through  the  good  will  of 
Him  that  dwelt  in  the  bush  ;  and  was,  as  by  the  horns  of 
a  unicorn,  to  push  the  people  together  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  i.  e.  conquer  the  world.    See  Gen.  49  :  22,  &c. 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  193 

and  Deut.  33  :  13,  &c.  and  Benjamin,  whose  mess  was 
five  times  so  great  as  that  of  any  of  his  brethren,  and  to 
whom  Joseph,  the  type  of  Christ,  gave  wealth  and  rai- 
ment far  beyond  all  the  rest.    Gen.  45  :  22. 

The  other  continent  hath  slain  Christ,  and  has  from 
age  to  age  shed  the  blood  of  the  saints  and  martyrs  of/  ?^^le 
Jesus,  and  has  often  been  as  it  were  deluged  with  the  j  'o.  M^t^ 
church's  blood  :   God  has  therefore  probably  reserved  the  '^^' 

honor  of  building  the  glorious  temple  to  the  daughter 
that  has  not  shed  so  much  blood,  when  those  times  of  the 
peace,  and  prosperity,  and  glory  of  the  church  shall 
commence,  that  were  typified  by  the  reign  of  Solomon. 

The  Gentiles  first  received  the  true  religion  from  the 
Jews  :  God's  church  of  ancient  times  had  been  among  ^  ■ 
them,  and  Christ  was  of  them  :  but  that  there  might  be  '^'j^^'^^ 
a   kind  of  equality  in  the  dispensations  of  Providence,  "^rJ^^j^> 
God  has  so  ordered  it,  that  when  the  Jews  come  to  be   '^'^/i'S^  f 
admitted  to  the  benefits  of  the  evangelical  dispensation,    c^.\^]^ 
and  to  receive  their  highest  privileges  of  all,  they  should 
receive  the  Gospel  from  the  Gentiles.     Though  Christ 
was  of  them,  yet  they  have  been  guilty  of  crucifying  him  ; 
it  is  therefore  the   will  of  God  that  that  people  should 
not  have  the  honor  of  communicating  the  blessings  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  its  most  glorious  state  to  the  Gentiles, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  they  shall  receive  the  Gospel  in  the 
beginning  of  that    glorious  day  from  the  Gentiles.     In 
some  analogy  to  this  I  apprehend  God's  dealings  will  be      ^     ^     ,, 
with  the  two  continents.    America  has  received  the  true     JKf^*'^'  - 
religion  of  the  old  continent ;  the  church  of  ancient  times 
has  been  there,  and  Christ  is  from  thence ;  but  that  there 
may  be  an  equality,  and  inasmuch  as  that  continent  has 
crucified  Christ,  they  shall  not  have  the  honor  of  commu- 

Revival  of  Ilel  9 


194  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

nicating  religion  in  its  most  glorious  state  to  us,  but  we 
to  them./ 

The  old  continent  has  been  the  source  and  original  of 
mankind  in  several  respects.     The  first  parents  of  man- 
kind dwelt  there ;  and  there  dwelt  Noah  and  his  sons ; 
/^i?^^     and  there  the  second  Adam  was  born,  and  was  crucified 
-^  ^  iit\^'^'   and  rose  again  :  and  it  is  probable  that,  in  some  measure 
'       '^      to  balance  these  things,  the  most  glorious  renovation  of 
.the  world  shall  originate  from  the  new  continent,  and  the 
t^^^  c^-     church  of  God  in  that  respect  be  from  hence.    And  so  it 
^^*' o-jt    is  probable  that  that  will  come  to  pass  in  spirituals  that 
i^'^'^.A^      has  in  temporals,  with  respect  to  America ;  that  whereas, 
^'z***^'*^  till  of  late,  the  world  was   supplied  with  its  silver  and 
i^*^.  '       gold  and  earthly  treasures  from  the  old  continent  and  now 
^      '  is  supplied  chiefly  from  the  new,  so  the  course  of  things 

in  spiritual  respects  will  be  in  like  manner  turned. 
'   <  ^^  t^       ^'^^  ^^  ^^  worthy  to  be  noted  that  America  was  discov- 
'*'■  f  *         ered  about  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  or  but  little  be- 
fore :  which  Reformation  was  the  first  thing  that  God  did 
towards  the  glorious  renovation  of  the  world,  after  it  had 
sunk  into  the  depths    of  darkness  and    ruin  under  the 
great  antichristian  apostacy.    So  that  as  soon  as  this  new 
^k;  world  is  (as  it  were)   created   and  stands  forth  in  view, 

jH"''*].;  God  presently  goes  about  doing  some  great  thing  to 
'>^\{^'^^^t  make  way  for  the  introduction  of  the  church's  latter  day 
^jj'-^  ..f>''^  fflorv,  that  is  to  have  its  first  seat  in,  and  is  to  take  its  rise 
J-  (^^^^' from  that  new  world. 

0^  V  :  '■  It  is  agreeable  to  God's  manner  of  working,  when  he 

accomplishes  any  glorious  work  in  the  world,  to  intro- 
duce a  new  and  more  excellent  state  of  his  church,  to 
begin  his  work  where  his  church  had  not  been  till  then, 
/      and  where  was  no  foundation  already  laid,  that  the  power 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  195 

of  God  might  be  the  more  conspicuous  ;  that  the  work 
might  appear  to  be  entirely  God's,  and  be  more  mani- 
festly a  creation  out  of  nothing;  agreeably  to  Hos.  1  :  10, 
**  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  in  the  place  where  it  was 
said  unto  them,  ye  are  not  my  people,  there  it  shall  be 
said  unto  them,  ye  are  the  sons  of  the  living  God." 
When  God  is  about  to  turn  the  earth  into  a  paradise,  he 
does  not  begin  his  work  where  there  is  some  good  growth 
already,  but  in  a  wilderness,  where  nothing  grows  and 
nothing  is  to  be  seen  but  dry  sand  and  barren  rocks;  that 
the  light  may  shine  out  of  darkness  and  the  world  be  re- 
plenished from  emptiness,  and  the  earth  watered  by 
springs  from  a  droughty  desert ;  agreeably  to  many  pro- 
phecies of  Scripture,  as  Isa.  32  :  15,  **  Until  the  Spirit  be 
poured  from  on  high  and  the  wilderness  become  a  fruit- 
ful field  ;"  and  chap.  41  :  18,  "  I  will  open  rivers  in  high 
places  and  fountains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys  ;  I  will 
make  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water  and  the  dry  land 
springs  of  water  :  I  will  plant  in  the  wilderness  the  ce- 
dar, the_shi_ttah  tree,  and  the  myrtle  and  oil  tree ;  I  will 
set  in  the  desert  the  fir  tree,  and  the  pine,  and  the  box 
tree  together;"  and  chap.  43  :  20,  "  I  will  give  waters  in 
the  wilderness  and  rivers  in  the  desert,  to  give  drink  to 
my  people,  my  chosen."  Many  other  parallel  Scriptures 
might  be  mentioned. 

I  observed  before,  that  when  God  is  about  to  do  some 
great  work  for  his  church,  his  manner  is  to  begin  at  the 
lower  end ;  so  when  he  is  about  to  renew  the  whole  ha- 
bitable earth,  it  is  probable  that  he  will  begin  in  this  ut- 
most, meanest,  youngest  and  weakest  part  of  it,  where 
the  church  of  God  has  been  planted  last  of  all ;  and  so 
the  first  shall  be  last,  and  the  last  first ;  and  that  will  be 


196  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

fulfilled  in  an  eminent  manner  in  Isa.  24  :  16,  "  From  the 
uttermost  part  of  the  earth  have  we  heard  songs,  even 
glory  to  the  righteous." 

There  are  several  things  that  seem  to  me  to  argue  that 
when  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  the  Sun  of  the  new  hea- 
vens and  new  earth,  comes  to  rise,  and  comes  forth  as  the 
bridegroom  of  his  church,  "  rejoicing  as  a  strong  man  to 
run  his  race,  having  his  going  forth  from  the  end  of  hea- 
ven, and  his  circuit  to  the  end  of  it,  that  nothing  may  be 
hid  from  the  light  and  heat  of  it,"*  the  sun  shall  rise  in  the 
west,  contrary  to  the  course  of  this  world,  or  the  course 
of  things  in  the  old  heavens  and  earth.    The  course  of 
God's  providence  shall  in  that  day  be  so  wonderfully  al- 
tered in  many  respects,  that  God  will  as  it  were  change 
the  course  of  nature   in    answer   to    the  prayers  of  his 
church  ;  as  God  changed  the   course  of  nature  and  cau- 
^jit$^-A.sed  the  sun  to  go  from  the  west  to  the  east  when  Heze- 
^^  ji\  tiah  was  healed,   and  God  promised  to  do  such  great 
V,.  '■""       *  things  for  his  church,  to  deliver  it  out  of  the  hand  of  the 
king  of  Assyria,  by  that  mighty  slaughter  by  the  angel  ; 
a  '•'^'^^^  which  is  often  used  by  the  prophet  Isaiah  as  a  type  of 
^  ii^.      the  glorious  deliverance  of  the  church  from  her  enemies 
,ji»'^^^     in  the  latter  days  :  the    resurrection    of  Hezekiah,  the 
>  ^^  0'       king  and  captain  of  the  church  (as  he  is  called,  2  Kings, 
^  »**^/       20  :  5,)  as  it  were  from  the  dead,  is  given  as  an  earnest 
^^  ^         of  the  church's  resurrection  and  salvation,  Isa.  38  :  6,  and 

'^  •  VI. — — 

^^^  jS'  .  "^  It  is  evident  that  the  Holy  Spirit  in  these  expressions,  Psalm  19  :  4, 
I      A^y  5,  6,  has  respect  to  something  else  besides  the  natural  sun ;  and  that  an 

''  eye  is  had  to  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  that  by  his  light  converts  the  soul, 

makes  wise  the  simple,  enlightens  the  eyes,  and  rejoices  the  heart ;  and  by 
his  preached  Gospel  enlightens  and  warms  the  world  of  mankind.  Such  is 
the  Psalmist's  own  application  m  verse  7,  and  the  apostle's  application  of 
verse  4,  in  Rom.  10  :  18. 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  197 

is  a  type  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  At  the  same  time 
there  is  a  resurrection  of  the  sun,  or  coming  back  and 
rising  again  from  the  west,  whither  it  had  gone  down ; 
which  is  also  a  type  of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness.  The 
sun  was  brought  back  ten  degrees,  which  probably 
brought  it  to  the  meridian.  The  Sun  of  Righteousness 
has  long  been  going  down  from  east  to  west ;  and  proba- 
bly when  the  time  comes  of  the  church's  deliverance^) 
from  her  enemies,  so  often  typified  by  the  Assyrians,  thej. 
light  will  rise  in  the  west,  until  it  shines  through  the 
world  like  the  sun  in  its  meridian  brightness. 

The  same  seems  also  to  be  represented  by  the  course 
of  the  waters  of  the  sanctuary,  Ezek.  47,  which  was 
from  west  to  east;  which  waters  undoubtedly  represent 
the  Holy  Spirit,  in  the  progress  of  his  saving  influences, 
in  the  latter  ages  of  the  world :  for  it  is  manifest  that 
the  whole  of  those  last  chapters  of  Ezekiel  are  con- 
cerning the  glorious  state  of  the  church  that  shall  then  be. 

And  if  we  may  suppose  that  this  glorious  work  of  God 
shall  begin  in  any  part  of  America,  I  think  if  we  consider 
the  circumstances  of  the  settlement  of  New  England,  it 
must  needs  appear  the  most  likely  of  all  the  American 
colonies  to  be  the  place  whence  this  work  shall  princi- 
pally take  its  rise. 

And  if  these  things  are  so,  it  gives  more  abundant 
reason  to  hope  that  what  is  now  seen  in  America,  and 
especially  in  New  England,  may  prove  the  dawn  of  that 
glorious  day;  and  the  very  uncommon  and  wonderful 
circumstances  and  events  of  this  work  seem  to  me 
strongly  to  argue  that  God  intends  it  as  the  beginning  or 
forerunner  of  something  vastly  great. 
p  I  have  thus  long  insisted  on  this  point,  because  if  these 


198  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

things  are  so,  it  greatly  manifests  how  much  it  behooves 
us  to  encourage  and  promote  this  work,  and  how  danger- 
ous it  will  be  to  forbear  so  to  do. 

3.  The  peril  of  coming  not  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  in  the 
great  happy  day  of  his  power  and  salvation. 

It  is  very  dangerous  for  God's  professing  people  to  lie 
still  and  not  to  come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  whenever 
he  remarkably  pours  out  his  Spirit,  to  cany  on  the  work 
of  redemption  in  the  application  of  it ;  but  above  all 
when  he  comes  forth  in  that  last  and  greatest  outpouring 
of  his  Spirit,  to  introduce  the  happy  day  of  God's  power 
and  salvation  so  often  spoken  of.  That  is  especially  the 
appointed  season  of  the  application  of  the  redemption  of 
Christ  :  it  is  the  proper  time  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
upon  earth,  the  appointed  time  of  Christ's  reign  :  the 
reign  of  Satan  as  god  of  this  world  lasts  till  then  :  this 
is  the  proper  time  of  the  actual  redemption,  or  the  new 
creation,  as  is  evident  by  Isa.  Q5  :  17,  18,  and  QQ  :  12,  and 
Rev.  21:1.  All  the  outpourings  of  the  Spirit  of  God  that 
are  before  this  are  as  it  were  by  way  of  anticipation. 

There  was  indeed  a  glorious  season  of  the  application 
of  redemption  in  the  first  ages  of  the  christian  church, 
that  began  at  Jerusalem  on  the  day  of  pentecost ;  but  that 
was  not  the  proper  time  of  ingathering ;  it  was  only  as  it 
were  the  feast  of  the  first  fruits ;  the  ingathering  is  at  the 
end  of  the  year,  or  in  the  last  ages  of  the  christian  church, 
as  is  represented  Rev.  14  :  14,  15,  16,  and  will  probably 
as  much  exceed  what  was  in  the  first  ages  of  the  chris- 
tian church,  though  that  filled  the  Roman  empire,  as  that 
exceeded  all  that  had  been  before,  under  the  Old  Testa- 
ment,  confined  only  to  the  land  of  Judea. 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  199 

The  great  danger  of  not  appearing  openly  to  acknow- 
ledge, rejoice  in,  and  promote  that  great  work  of  God 
in  bringing  in  that  glorious  harvest,  is  represented,  in  Zech- 
arlah  14  :  16 — 19  ;  '*  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  every 
one  that  is  left,  of  all  the  nations  which  come  against  Je- 
rusalem, shall  even  go  up,  from  year  to  year,  to  worship 
the  King,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  to  keep  the  feast  of  ta- 
bernacles. And  it  shall  be,  that  whoso  will  not  come  up, 
of  all  the  families  of  the  earth,  unto  Jerusalem,  to  wor- 
ship the  King,  the  Lord  of  hosts,  even  unto  them  shall  be 
no  rain.  And  if  the  family  of  Egypt  go  not  up,  and  come 
not,  that  have  no  rain,  there  shall  be  the  plague  where- 
with the  Lord  will  smite  the  heathen  that  come  not  up 
to  keep  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  This  shall  be  the  punish- 
ment of  Egypt,  and  the  punishment  of  all  nations  that 
come  not  up  to  keep  the  feast  of  tabernacles."  It  is  evi- 
dent by  all  the  context,  that  the  glorious  day  of  the  church 
of  God  in  the  latter  ages  of  the  world  is  the  time  spoken 
of:  the  feast  of  tabernacles  here  seems  to  signify  that  glo- 
rious spiritual  feast  which  God  shall  then  make  for  his 
church,  the  same  that  is  spoken  of,  Isaiah,  25  :  6,  and  the 
great  spiritual  rejoicings  of  God's  people  at  that  time. 

There  were  three  great  feasts  in  Israel,  at  which  all 
the  males  were  appointed  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem :  the 
feast  of  the  passover ;  and  the  feast  of  the  first  fruits,  or 
the  feast  of  pentecost ;  and  the  feast  of  ingathering,  at  the 
end  of  the  year,  or  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  In  the  first 
of  these,  the  feast  of  the  passover,  was  represented  the  pur- 
chase of  redemption  by  Jesus  Christ,  the  paschal  Lamb, 
that  was  slain  at  the  time  of  that  feast.  The  other  two 
that  followed  it,  were  to  represent  the  two  great  seasons 
of  the  application  of  the  purchased  redemption :  in  the 


200  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

former  of  them,  the  feast  of  the  first  fruits,  vs^hicli  w^as 
called  the  feast  of  pentecost,  was  represented  that  time 
of  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  that  was  in  the  first  ages 
of  the  christian  church,  for  the  bringing  in  the  first  fruits 
of  Christ's  redemption,  which  began  at  Jerusalem  on  the 
day  of  pentecost :  the  other,  which  was  the  feast  of  in- 
gathering, at  the  end  of  the  year,  which  the  children  of 
Israel  were  appointed  to  keep  on  the  occasion  of  their 
gathering  in  their  corn  and  their  wine,  and  all  the  fruit 
of  their  land,  and  was  called  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  re- 
presented the  other  more  joyful  and  glorious  season  of 
the  application  of  Christ's  redemption,  which  is  to  be  in 
the  latter  days ;  the  great  day  of  the  ingathering  of  the 
elect,  the  proper  and  appointed  time  of  gathering  in  God's 
fruits,  when  the  angel  of  the  covenant  shall  thrust  in  his 
sickle  and  gather  the  harvest  of  the  earth ;  and  the  clus- 
ters of  the  vine  of  the  earth  shall  also  be  gathered.  This 
was  upon  many  accounts  the  greatest  feast  of  the  three : 
there  were  much  greater  tokens  of  rejoicing  in  this  feast 
than  any  other  :  the  people  then  dwelt  in  booths  of  green 
boughs,  and  were  commanded  to  take  boughs  of  goodly 
trees,  branches  of  palm  trees,  and  the  boughs  of  thick 
trees  and  willows  of  the  brook,  and  to  rejoice  before  the 
Lord  their  God  :  which  represents  the  flourishing,  beau- 
tiful, pleasant  state  the  church  shall  be  in,  rejoicing  in 
God's  grace  and  love,  triumphing  over  all  her  enemies  at 
the  time  typified  by  this  feast.  The  tabernacle  of  God 
was  first  set  up  among  the  children  of  Israel  at  the  time 
of  the  feast  of  tabernacles ;  but  in  that  glorious  time  of 
the  christian  church  God  will  above  all  other  times  set 
up  his  tabernacle  amongst  men.  **  I  heard  a  great  voice 
out  of  heaven,  saying.  The  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men, 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  201 

and  he  will  dwell  with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  people, 
and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God." 
Rev.  21  :  3. 

The  world  is  supposed  to  have  been  created  about  the 
time  of  the  year  wherein  the  feast  of  tabernacles  was  ap- 
pointed ;  so  in  that  glorious  time  God  will  create  a  new 
heaven  and  a  new  earth.  The  temple  of  Solomon  was  de- 
dicated at  the  time  of  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  when  God 
descended  in  a  pillar  of  cloud  and  dwelt  in  the  temple  ; 
so  at  this  happy  time  the  temple  of  God  shall  be  glori- 
ously built  up  in  the  world,  and  God  shall  in  a  wonderful 
manner  come  down  from  heaven  to  dwell  with  his  church. 
Christ  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  at  the  feast  of  ta- 
bernacles ;  so  at  the  commencement  of  that  glorious  day 
Christ  shall  be  born ;  then  above  all  other  times  shall  the 
"  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  with  the  moon  under  her 
feet,  that  is  in  travail  and  pained  to  be  delivered,  bring 
forth  her  son  to  rule  all  nations."  Rev.  12.  The  feast  of 
tabernacles  was  the  last  feast  that  Israel  had  in  the  whole 
year,  before  the  face  of  the  earth  was  destroyed  by  the 
winter.  Presently  after  the  rejoicings  of  that  feast  were 
past,  a  tempestuous  season  began.  "  Sailing  was  now 
dangerous,  because  the  feast  was  now  already  past."  Acts, 
27  :  9.  So  this  great  feast  of  the  christian  church  will  be 
the  last  feast  she  shall  have  on  earth  :  soon  after  it  is  past 
this  lower  world  will  be  destroyed. 

At  the  feast  of  tabernacles  Israel  left  their  houses  to 
dwell  in  booths  or  green  tents,  which  signifies  the  great 
weanedness  of  God's  people  from  the  world,  as  pilgrims 
and  strangers  on  the  earth,  and  their  great  joy  therein. 
Israel  were  prepared  for  the  feast  of  tabernacles  by  the 
feast  of  trumpets  and  the  day  of  atonement  both  on  the 

9* 


202  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

same  month ;  so  a  way  shall  be  made  for  the  joy  of  the 
church  of  God  in  its  glorious  state  on  earth,  by  the  ex- 
traordinary preaching  of  the  Gospel,  and  deep  repentance 
and  humiliation  for  past  sins  and  the  great  and  long- 
continued  deadness  and  carnality  of  the  visible  church. 
Christ  at  the  great  feast  of  tabernacles  stood  in  Jerusa- 
lem, "  and  cried,  saying,  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come 
unto  me  and  drink :  he  that  believeth  on  me,  as  the  Scrip- 
ture hath  said,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living 
waters  ;"  signifying  the  extraordinary  freedom  and  riches 
of  divine  grace  towards  sinners  at  that  day,  and  the  ex- 
traordinary measures  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  shall  be  then 
given;  agreeable  to  Rev.  21  :  6,  and  22  :  17. 

It  is  threatened  here  in  this  14th  chapter  of  Zechariah, 
that  those  who  at  that  time  shall  not  come  to  keep  this 
feast,  who  shall  not  acknowledge  God's  glorious  works, 
and  praise  his  name,  and  rejoice  with  his  people,  but 
should  stand  at  a  distance,  as  unbelieving  and  disaffected ; 
U2)on  them  shall  he  no  raiii;  and  that  this  shall  be  the 
plague  wherewith  they  shall  all  be  smitten  ;  that  is,  they 
shall  have  no  share  in  that  shower  of  divine  blessing 
that  shall  then  descend  on  the  earth,  that  spiritual  rain 
spoken  of,  Isaiah,  44  :  3.  But  God  would  give  them  over 
to  hardness  of  heart  and  blindness  of  mind. 

The  curse  is  yet  in  a  more  awful  manner  denounced 
against  such  as  shall  appear  as  opposers  at  that  time, 
verse  12  :  "  And  this  shall  be  the  plague  wherewith  the 
Lord  shall  smite  all  the  people  that  have  fought  against 
Jerusalem,  their  flesh  shall  consume  away  while  they 
stand  upon  their  feet,  and  their  eyes  shall  consume  away 
in  their  holes,  and  their  tongue  shall  consume  away  in  their 
mouth."  Here  also  in  all  probability  it  is  a  spiritual  judg- 


OBI.IGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  203 

ment  or  a  plague  and  curse  from  God  upon  the  soul,  ra- 
ther than  upon  the  body,  that  is  intended ;  that  such  per- 
sons who  at  that  time  shall  oppose  God's  people  in  his 
work  shall  in  an  extraordinary  manner  be  given  over  to 
a  state  of  spiritual  death  and  ruin,  that  they  shall  remark- 
ably appear  dead  w^hile  alive,  and  shall  be  as  vi^alking  rot- 
ten corpses  while  they  go  about  amongst  men. 

The  great  danger  of  not  joining  with  God's  people  at 
that  glorious  day  is  also  represented,  Isa.  60  :  12 ;  **  For 
the  nation  and  kingdom  that  will  not  serve  thee  shall 
perish ;  yea,  those  nations  shall  be  utterly  wasted." 

Most  of  the  gi'eat  temporal  deliverances  that  were 
wrought  for  Israel  of  old,  as  divines  and  expositors  ob- 
serve, were  typical  of  the  great  spiritual  works  of  God 
for  the  salvation  of  men's  souls  and  the  deliverance 
and  prosperity  of  his  church  in  the  days  of  the  Gospel ; 
and  especially  did  they  represent  that  greatest  of  all  de- 
liverances of  God's  church,  and  chief  of  God's  works, 
the  actual  salvation  that  shall  be  in  the  latter  days ; 
which,  as  has  been  observed,  is,  above  all  others,  the  ap- 
pointed time  and  proper  season  of  actual  redemption  of 
men's  souls.  But  it  may  be  observed  that  if  any  ap- 
peared to  oppose  God's  work  in  those  great  temporal  de- 
liverances ;  or  if  there  were  any  of  his  professing  peo- 
ple that  on  such  occasions  lay  still,  and  stood  at  a  dis- 
tance, and  did  not  arise  and  acknowledge  God  in  his 
work  and  appear  to  promote  it ;  it  was  what  in  a  re- 
maa'kable  manner  incensed  God's  anger,  and  brought  his 
curse  upon  such  persons. 

So  when  God  wrought  the  great  work  of  bringing  ilie 
children  of  Israel  ou(  of  Egypt  (which  was  a  type  of  God's 
delivering  his  church  out  of  the  spiritual  Egypt  at  the 


204  THOUGHTS     ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

time  of  the  fall  of  Antichrist,  as  is  evident  by  Rev.  11  :  8, 
and  15  :  3;)  how  highly  did  God  resent  it  when  the 
Amalekites  appeared  as  opposers  of  that  work  !  and 
how  dreadfully  did  he  curse  them  for  it !  **  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses,  write  this  for  a  memorial  in  a 
book,  and  rehearse  it  in  the  ears  of  Joshua ;  for  I  will 
utterly  put  out  the  remembrance  of  Am alek  from  un- 
der heaven.  And  Moses  built  an  altar  and  called  the 
name  of  it  Jehovah  Nissi ;  for  he  said,  because  the 
Lord  will  have  war  with  Amalek  from  generation  to 
generation."  Exod.  17  :  14,  15.  And  accordingly  we  find 
that  God  remembered  it  a  long  time  after,  1  Sam.  15  :  3. 
And  how  highly  did  God  resent  it  in  the  Moabites  and 
Ammonites  that  they  did  not  lend  a  helping  hand  and 
encourage  and  promote  the  work.  *'  An  Ammonite  or 
Moabite  shall  not  enter  into  the  congregation  of  the  Lord; 
even  to  their  tenth  generation  shall  they  not  enter  into 
the  congregation  of  the  Lord  for  ever;  because  they  met 
you  not  with  bread  and  with  water  in  the  way  when  ye 
came  forth  out  of  Egypt."  Deut.  23 :  3,  4.  And  how 
were  the  children  of  Reuben,  and  the  children  of  Gad, 
and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh  threatened  if  they  did  not 
go  and  help  their  brethren  in  their  wars  against  the  Ca- 
naanites  :  "And  Moses  said  unto  them,  if  ye  will  do  this 
thing,  if  ye  will  go  armed  before  the  Lord  to  war,  and 
will  go  all  of  you  armed  over  Jordan  before  the  Lord, 
until  he  hath  driven  out  his  enemies  from  before  him,  and 
the  land  be  subdued  before  the  Lord,  then  afterward  ye 
shall  return  and  be  guiltless  before  the  Lord  and  before 
Israel,  and  this  land  shall  be  your  possession  before  the 
Lord :  but  if  ye  will  not  do  so,  behold  ye  have  sinned 
against  the  Lord,  and  be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out." 
Num.  32  :  20-23. 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  205 

That  was  a  glorious  work  of  God  that  he  wrought  for 
Israel  when  he  delivered  them  from  the  Canaanites  by 
the  hand  of  Deborah  and  Barak :  almost  every  thing 
about  it  showed  remarkably  the  hand  of  God.  It  was  a 
prophetess,  one  immediately  inspired  by  God,  that  called 
the  people  to  the  battle  and  conducted  them  in  the  whole 
affair.  The  people  seem  to  have  been  miraculously  ani- 
mated and  encouraged  in  the  matter,  when  they  willingly 
offered  themselves  and  gathered  together  to  the  battle ; 
they  jeoparded  their  lives  in  the  high  places  of  the  field 
without  being  pressed  or  hired,  when  one  would  have 
thought  they  would  have  but  little  courage  for  such  an 
undertaking ;  for  what  could  a  number  of  poor,  weak, 
defenceless  slaves  do,  without  a  shield  or  spear  to  be  seeri 
among  forty  thousand  of  them,  to  go  against  a  great  prince 
with  his  mighty  host  and  nine  hundred  chariots  of  iron  1 
And  the  success  did  wonderfully  show  the  hand  of  God ; 
which  makes  Deborah  exultingly  say,  Judg.  5  :  21,  **  O 
my  soul,  thou  hast  trodden  down  strength  !"  Christ  with 
his  heavenly  host  was  engaged  in  that  battle  ;  and  there- 
fore it  is  said,  ver.  20,  "  They  fought  from  heaven,  the 
stars  in  their  courses  fought  against  Sisera." 

The  work  of  God  therefore  in  this  victory  and  deliver- 
ance that  Christ  and  his  host  wrought  for  Israel,  was  a 
type  of  that  victory  and  deliverance  which  he  will  ac- 
complish for  his  church  in  that  great  battle,  that  last  con- 
flict the  church  shall  have  with  her  open  enemies,  which 
shall  introduce  the  church's  latter  day  glory;  as  ap- 
pears by  Rev.  16  :  16,  (speaking  of  that  great  battle:) 
"  And  he  gathered  them  together  into  a  place  called, 
in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  Armageddon,"  that  is,  the  moun- 
tain of  Megiddo;  alluding,  as  is  supposed  by  expositors, 


206  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

to  the  place  where  the  battle  was  fought  with  the  host 
of  Sisera,  Judg.  5  :  19  :  '*  The  kings  came  and  fought, 
the  kings  of  Canaan,  in  Taanach  by  the  waters  of  Me- 
giddo."  Which  can  signify  nothing  else  than  that  this 
battle,  which  Christ  and  his  church  shall  have  with  their 
enemies,  is  the  antitype  of  the  battle  that  w^as  fought  there. 
But  what  a  dreadful  curse  from  Christ  did  some  of  God's 
professing  people  Israel  bring  upon  themselves,  by  lying 
still  at  that  time  and  not  giving  a  helping  hand  !  **  Curse 
ye  Meroz,  said  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  curse  ye  bitterly 
the  inhabitants  thereof,  because  they  came  not  to  the 
help  of  the  Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the 
mighty."  Judg.  5  :  23. 

The  Ange]  of  the  Lord  was  the  captain  of  the  host ; 
he  that  had  led  Israel  and  fought  for  them  in  that  battle, 
w^ho  is  very  often  called  the  angel  of  the  Lord  in  Scrip- 
ture ;  the  same  that  appeared  to  Joshua  vv^ith  a  sword 
drawn  in  his  hand,  and  told  him  that  he  was  come  as  the 
Captain  of  the  host  of  the  Lord;  and  the  same  glorious 
Captain  that  we  have  an  account  of  as  leading  forth  his 
hosts  to  that  battle,  of  which  this  w^as  the  type,  Rev. 
19  :  11,  &c.  It  seems  the  inhabitants  of  Meroz  were  un- 
believing concerning  this  great  work,  nor  w^ould  they 
hearken  to  Deborah's  pretences,  nor  did  it  enter  into  them 
that  such  a  poor  defenceless  company  should  ever  prevail 
against  those  that  were  so  mighty ;  they  did  not  acknow- 
ledge the  hand  of  God,  and  therefore  stood  at  a  distance 
and  did  nothing  to  promote  the  work  :  but  what  a  bitter 
curse  from  God  did  they  bring  upon  themselves  by  it ! 

It  is  very  probable  that  one  great  reason  why  the  in- 
habitants of  Meroz  were  so  unbelieving  concerning  this 
work,  was  that  they  argued  a  priori ;  they  did  not  like 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  207 

the  beginning  of  it,  it  being  a  woman  that  first  led  the  way 
and  had  the  chief  conduct  in  the  affair;  nor  could  they 
believe  that  such  despicable  instruments  as  a  company 
of  unarmed  slaves  were  ever  like  to  effect  so  great  a 
thing ;  and  pride  and  unbelief  wrought  together  in  not 
being  willing  to  follow  Deborah  to  the  battle. 

It  was  another  glorious  work  of  God  that  he  wrought 
for  Israel  in  the  victory  that  was  obtained  by  Gideon 
over  the  Midianites  and  Amalekites,  and  the  children  of 
the  east,  when  they  came  up  against  Israel  like  grass- 
hoppers, a  multitude  that  could  not  be  numbered.  This 
also  was  a  remarkable  type  of  the  victory  of  Christ  and 
his  church  over  his  enemies,  by  the  pouring  out  of  the 
Spirit  with  the  preached  Gospel,  as  is  evident  by  the 
manner  of  it,  to  which  Gideon  was  immediately  directed 
of  God ;  which  was  not  by  human  sword  or  bow,  but 
only  by  blowing  of  trumpets,  and  by  lights  in  earthen 
vessels.  We  read  that  on  this  occasion  Gideon  called 
the  people  together  to  help  in  this  great  affair ;  and  that 
accordingly  great  numbers  resorted  to  him  and  came  to 
the  help  of  the  Lord.  Judg.  7  :  23,  25.  But  there  were 
some  also  at  that  time  that  were  unbelieving,  and  would 
not  acknowledge  the  hand  of  God  in  that  work  though 
it  was  so  great  and  wonderful,  nor  would  they  join  to 
promote  it;  and  they  were  the  inhabitants  of  Succoth 
and  Penuel.  Gideon  desired  their  help  when  he  was 
pursuing  after  Zebah  and  Zalmunna;  but  they  despised 
his  pretences,  and  his  confidence  of  the  Lord's  being  on 
his  side  to  deliver  those  two  great  princes  into  the  hands 
of  such  a  despicable  company  as  he  and  his  three  hundred 
men,  and  would  not  own  the  work  of  God,  nor  afford 
Gideon  any  assistance :  God  proceeded  in  this  work  in  a 
way  exceedingly  humbling  to  their  pride. 


208  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

And  they  also  refused  to  own  the  work,  because  they 
argued  a  priori ;  they  could  not  believe  that  God  would 
do  such  great  things  by  such  a  despicable  instrument ; 
one  of  such  a  poor  mean  family  in  Manasseh,  and  he  the 
least  in  his  father's  house  ;  and  the  company  that  was 
with  him  appeared  very  wretched,  being  but  three  hun- 
dred men,  and  they  weak  and  faint :  but  we  see  how 
they  suffered  for  their  folly  in  not  acknowledging  and 
appearing  to  promote  this  work  of  God.  Gideon,  when 
he  returned  from  the  victory,  "  took  them,  and  taught 
them  with  the  briers  and  thorns  of  the  icilderness,  and  heat 
down  the  tower  of  Penuel,^^  (he  brought  down  their  pride 
and  their  false  confidence,)  *^  and  slew  the  men  of  the  city,''* 
Judg.  chap.  8.  This,  in  all  probability,  Gideon  did,  as 
moved  and  directed  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  that  is 
Christ,  that  first  called  him,  and  sent  him  forth  in  this 
battle,  and  instructed  and  directed  him  in  the  whole 
affair. 

The  return  of  the  ark  of  God  to  dwell  in  Zion,  in  the 
midst  of  the  land  of  Israel,  after  it  had  been  long  absent, 
first  in  the  land  of  the  Philistines,  and  then  in  Kirjath- 
jearim,  in  the  utmost  borders  of  the  land,  strikingly  repre- 
sented the  return  of  God  to  a  professing  people  in  the 
spiritual  tokens  of  his  presence,  after  long  absence  from 
them ;  as  well  as  the  ark's  ascending  up  into  a  mountain 
typified  Christ's  ascension  into  heaven.  It  is  evident  by 
the  Psalms  that  were  penned  on  that  occasion,  especially 
the  68th  Psalm,  that  the  exceeding  rejoicings  of  Israel  on 
that  occasion  represented  the  joy  of  the  church  of  Christ 
on  his  returning  to  it,  after  it  has  been  in  a  low  and  dark 
state,  to  revive  his  work,  bringing  his  people  hack,  as  it 
were,  from  Bashan,  and  from  the  depth  of  the  sea,  scat- 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  209 

tering  their  spiritual  enemies,  and  causing  that  "  though 
they  had  lain  among  the  pots,  yet  they  should  be  as  the 
wings  of  a  dove  covered  with  silver,  and  her  feathers 
with  yellow  gold;"  and  giving  the  blessed  tokens  of  his 
presence  in  his  house,  that  his  people  may  see  the  goings 
of  God  the  King  in  his  sanctuary ;  and  that  the  gifts  which 
David  with  such  royal  bounty  distributed  amongst  the 
people  on  that  occasion,  (2  Sam.  6  :  18,  19,  and  1  Chron. 
16  ;  2,  3,)  represent  spiritual  blessings  that  Christ  libe- 
rally sends  down  on  his  church  by  the  outpourings  of  his 
Spirit.  See  Psalm  68  :  1,  3,  13,  18-24.  And  we  have  an 
account  how  that  all  the  people,  from  Shihor  of  Egypt 
even  unto  the  entering  in  of  Hamath,  gathered  together 
and  appeared  to  join  and  assist  in  that  great  affair ;  and 
that  all  Israel  "  brought  up  the  ark  of  the  covenant  of  the 
Lord,  with  shouting,  and  with  sound  of  the  cornet,  and 
with  trumpets,  and  with  cymbals,  making  a  noise  with 
psalteries  and  harps."  1  Chiron.  13  :  2,  5,  and  15  :  28.  And 
not  only  the  men,  but  the  women  of  Israel,  the  daugh- 
ters of  Zion,  appeared  as  publicly  joining  in  the  praises 
and  rejoicings  of  that  occasion.  2  Sam.  6  :  19. 

But  we  read  of  one  of  David's  wives,  even  Michal, 
Saul's  daughter,  whose  heart  was  not  engaged  in  the  af- 
fair, and  who  did  not  appear  with  others  to  rejoice  and 
praise  God  on  the  occasion,  but  kept  away  and  stood  at 
a  distance,  as  disaffected  and  disliking  the  management 
of  it ;  she  despised  and  ridiculed  the  transports  and  ex- 
traordinary manifestations  of  joy  ;  and  the  curse  that  she 
brought  upon  herself  by  it  was  that  of  being  barren  to 
the  day  of  her  death.  Let  this  be  a  waraing  to  us  :  let 
us  take  heed,  in  this  day  of  the  bringing  up  of  the  ark  of 
God,  that  while  we  are  in  visibility  and  profession  the 


210  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

spouse  of  the  spiritual  David,  we  do  not  show  ourselves 
to  be  indeed  the  children  of  false-hearted  and  rebellious 
Saul  by  our  standing  aloof  and  not  joining  in  the  joy  and 
praises  of  the  day,  and  disliking  and  despising  the  joys 
and  affections  of  God's  people  because  they  are  to  so 
high  a  degree,  and  so  bring  the  curse  of  perpetual  bar- 
renness upon  our  souls. 

Let  us  take  heed  that  we  be  not  like  the  son  of  the 
bond  woman,  that  was  born  after  the  flesh,  that  persecu- 
ted him  that  was  born  after  the  Spirit,  and  mocked  at  the 
feasting  and  rejoicings  that  were  made  for  Isaac  when 
he  was  weaned  ;  lest  we  should  be  cast  out  of  the  family 
of  Abraham,  as  he  was.  Gen.  21  :  8,  9.  That  aflair  con- 
tained spiritual  mysteries,  and  was  typical  of  things  that 
come  to  pass  in  these  days  of  the  Gospel ;  as  is  evident 
by  the  apostle's  testimony,  Gal.  4  :  23-31.  And  particu- 
larly it  seems  to  have  been  typical  of  two  things  : 

The  weaning  of  the  church  from  its  milk  of  carnal  or- 
dinances, ceremonies,  shadows,  and  beggarly  elements, 
upon  the  coming  of  Christ  and  the  pouring  out  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  The  church  of  Christ, 
in  the  times  of  the  Old  Testament,  was  in  its  minority, 
and  was  a  babe  ;  and  the  apostle  tells  us  that  babes  must 
be  fed  with  milk,  and  not  with  strong  meat ;  but  when 
God  weaned  his  church  from  these  carnal  ordinances,  on 
the  ceasing  of  the  legal  dispensation,  a  glorious  Gospel 
feast  was  provided  for  souls,  and  God  fed  his  people 
with  spiritual  dainties,  and  filled  them  with  the  Spirit, 
and  gave  them  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  Ishmael,  in  mock- 
ing at  the  time  of  Isaac's  feast,  by  the  apostle's  testimo- 
ny, represented  the  carnal  Jews,  the  children  of  the  lite- 
ral Jerusalem,  who,  when  they  beheld  the  rejoicings  of 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  211 

christians  in  their  spiritual  and  evangelical  privileges, 
were  filled  with  envy,  deriding,  contradicting  and  blas- 
pheming, Acts,  2  ;  13,  and  chap.  13  :  45,  and  18  :  6.  And 
therefore  were  cast  out  of  the  family  of  Abraham,  and 
out  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  to  wander  through  the  earth. 

This  weaning  of  Isaac  seems  also  to  represent  the 
conversion  of  sinners,  which  is  several  times  represented 
in  Scripture  by  the  weaning  of  a  child ;  as  in  Psalm 
131,  and  Isa.  28  :  9.  Because  in  conversion  the  soul  is 
weaned  from  the  enjoyments  of  the  world,  which  are  as 
it  were  the  breast  of  our  mother  earth ;  and  is  also 
weaned  from  the  covenant  of  our  first  parents,  which  we 
as  naturally  hang  upon  as  a  child  on  its  mother's  breast : 
and  the  great  feast  that  Abraham  made  on  that  occasion 
represents  the  spiritual  feast,  the  heavenly  privileges 
and  holy  joys  and  comforts  which  God  gives  souls  at 
their  conversion. 

Now  is  the  time  when  God  is  in  a  remarkable  manner 
bestowing  the  blessings  of  such  a  feast.  Let  every  one 
take  heed  that  he  does  not  now  show  himself  to  be  the 
son  of  the  bond  woman,  and  born  after  the  fllesh,  by  stand- 
ing and  deriding  with  mocking  Ishmael ;  lest  they  be 
cast  out  as  he  was,  and  it  be  said  concerning  them,  these 
sons  of  the  bond  woman  shall  not  be  heirs  with  the  sons 
of  the  free  woman.  Do  not  let  us  stumble  at  the  things 
that  have  been  because  they  are  so  great  and  extraordi- 
nary;  for  if  we  have  run  with  the  footmen,  and  they 
have  wearied  us,  how  shall  we  contend  with  horses  % 
There  is  doubtless  a  time  coming  when  God  will  ac- 
complish things  vastly  greater  and  more  extraordinary 
than  these. 

And  that  we  may  be  warned  not  to  continue  doubting 


212  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

and  unbelieving  concerning  this  work,  because  of  the  ex- 
traordinary degree  of  it,  and  the  suddenness  and  swift- 
ness of  the  accomplishment  of  the  great  things  that  per- 
tain to  it,  let  us  consider  the  example  of  the  unbeUeving 
lord  in  Samaria,  who  could  not  believe  so  extraordinary 
a  work  of  God  to  be  accomplished  so  suddenly  as  was 
declared  to  him.  The  prophet  Elisha  foretold  that  the 
great  famine  in  Samaria  should  very  suddenly,  even  in 
one  day,  be  turned  into  an  extraordinary  plenty ;  but  the 
work  was  too  great  and  too  sudden  for  him  to  believe  : 
Jf  the  Lord  should  make  windows  iri  heaven,  might  this 
thing  be  ?  And  the  curse  that  be  brought  upon  himself 
by  it  was,  that  he  saw  with  his  eyes  and  did  not  eat 
thereof,  but  miserably  perished,  and  was  trodden  down 
as  the  mire  of  the  streets,  when  others  were  feasting  and 
rejoicing.  2  Kings,  chap.  7. 

When  God  redeemed  his  people  from  their  Babylonish 
captivity,  and  they  rebuilt  Jerusalem,  it  was,  as  is  univer- 
sally owned,  a  remarkable  type  of  the  spiritual  redemp- 
tion of  God's  church ;  and  particularly  it  was  an  eminent 
type  of  the  great  deliverance  of  the  christian  church  from 
spiritual  Babylon,  and  their  rebuilding  the  spiritual  Je- 
rusalem in  the  latter  days ;  and  therefore  they  are  often 
spoken  of  under  one  by  the  prophets  :  and  this  probably 
was  the  main  reason  that  it  was  so  ordered  in  Providence, 
and  particularly  noted  in  Scripture,  that  the  children  of 
Israel  on  that  occasion  kept  the  greatest  feast  of  taher- 
nacles  that  ever  had  been  kept  in  Israel  since  the  days  of 
Joshua,  when  the  people  were  first  settled  in  Canaan, 
Neh.  8  :  16,  17,  because  at  that  time  happened  that  res- 
toration of  Israel,  which  had  a  greater  resemblance  of  the 
great  restoration  of  the  church  of  God  of  which  \}i\q  feast 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  213 

of  tabernacles  was  the  type,  than  any  that  had  been  since 
Joshua  first  brought  the  people  out  of  the  wilderness  and 
settled  them  in  the  good  land. 

But  we  read  of  some  that  opposed  the  Jews  in  that 
affair,  and  weakened  their  hands,  and  ridiculed  God's 
people  and  the  instruments  that  were  employed  in  that 
work,  and  despised  their  hope,  and  made  as  though  their 
confidence  was  little  more  than  a  shadow,  and  would  ut- 
terly fail  them.  "  What  do  these  feeble  Jews  V  say  they  : 
*'  Will  they  fortify  themselves  1  Will  they  sacrifice  ]  Will 
they  make  an  end  in  a  day  1  Will  they  revive  the  stones 
out  of  the  heaps  of  the  rubbish  which  are  burned  ]  Even 
that  which  they  build,  if  a  fox  go  up  he  shall  even  break 
down  their  stone  wall."  Let  us  not  be  in  any  measure  like 
them,  lest  it  be  said  to  us,  as  Nehemiah  said  to  them,  Neh. 
2  :  20,  "  We  his  servants  will  arise  and  build ;  but  you 
have  no  portion,  nor  right,  nor  memorial  in  Jerusalem." 
And  lest  we  bring  Nehemiah's  imprecation  upon  us,  chap. 
4:5,  "  Cover  not  their  iniquity,  and  let  not  their  sin  be 
blotted  out  from  before  thee ;  for  they  have  provoked 
thee  to  anger  before  the  builders." 

As  persons  will  greatly  expose  themselves  to  the  curse 
of  God  by  opposing  or  standing  at  a  distance  and  keep- 
ing silence  at  such  a  time  as  this ;  so  for  persons  to  arise 
and  readily  to  acknowledge  God  and  honor  him  in  such 
a  work,  and  cheerfully  and  vigorously  to  exert  them- 
selves to  promote  it,  will  be  to  put  themselves  much  in 
the  way  of  the  divine  blessing.  What  a  mark  of  honor 
does  God  put  upon  those  in  Israel  that  willingly  offered 
themselves  and  came  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the 
mighty,  when  the  angel  of  the  Lord  led  forth  his  armies 
and  they  fought  from  heaven  against  Sisera  1  Judges,  5  : 


214  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

2,  9,  14,  15,  17,  18.  And  what  a  great  blessing  is  pro- 
nounced on  Jael,  the  wife  of  Heber  the  Kenite,  for  her 
appearing  on  the  Lord's  side,  and  for  what  she  did  to 
promote  this  work,  verse  24,  which  was  no  less  than  the 
curse  pronounced  in  the  preceding  verse  against  Meroz 
for  lying  still :  "  Blessed  above  women  shall  Jael  the  wife 
of  Heber  the  Kenite  be,  blessed  shall  she  be  above  women  in 
the  tenty  And  what  a  blessing  is  pronounced  on  those 
which  shall  have  any  hand  in  the  destruction  of  Babylon, 
which  was  the  head  city  of  the  kingdom  of  Satan  and  of 
-y     the  enemies  of  the  church  of  God  !  Psalm  137  :  9,  "  Hap- 

1^r'^^7py  shall  he  be  that  taketh  and  dasheth  thy  little  ones 

^  agamst  the  stones. 

"^  ,itS  What  a  particular  and  honorable  notice  is  taken  in  the 

i^*'      records  of  God's  word  of  those  that  arose  and  appeared 

f^^  as  David's  helpers  to  introduce  him  into  the  kingdom 
,^^     of  Israel,  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  1  Chron.    The  host  of 

^  those  that  thus  came  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  in  that  work 

of  his,  and  glorious  revolution  in  Israel,  by  which  the 
kingdom  of  that  great  type  of  the  Messiah  was  set  up  in 
Israel,  is  compared  to  the  host  of  God,  verse  22  :  "  At 
that  time,  day  by  day,  there  came  to  David,  to  help  him, 
until  it  was  a  great  host,  like  the  host  of  God."  And 
doubtless  it  was  intended  to  be  a  type  of  that  host  of  God 
that  shall  appear  with  the  spiritual  David  as  his  helpers, 
when  he  shall  come  to  set  up  his  kingdom  in  the  world  ; 
the  same  host  that  we  read  of.  Rev.  19  :  14.  The  Spirit 
of  God  then  pronounced  a  special  blessing  on  David's 
helpers,  as  those  that  were  co-workers  with  God  :  verse 
18,  "  Then  the  Spirit  came  upon  Amasai,  who  was  chief 
of  the  captains,  and  he  said.  Thine  are  we,  David,  and  on 
thy  side,  thou  son  of  Jesse;  peace,  peace  be  unto  thee, 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  215 

and  peace  be  to  thine  helpers,  for  thy  God  helpeth  thee." 
So  we  may  conclude  that  God  will  much  more  give  his 
blessing  to  such  as  come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  when 
he  sets  his  own  dear  Son  as  King  on  his  holy  hill  of  Zion; 
and  they  shall  be  received  by  Christ,  and  he  will  put  pe- 
culiar honor  upon  them,  as  David  did  on  those  his  helpers; 
as  we  have  an  account  in  the  following  words,  verse  18  : 
"  Then  David  received  them,  and  made  them  captains  of 
the  band."  It  is  particularly  noted  of  those  that  came  to 
David  to  Hebron,  ready  armed  to  the  war,  to  turn  the 
kingdom  of  Saul  to  him,  according  to  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  that  "  they  were  men  that  had  understanding  of 
the  times,  to  know  what  Israel  ought  to  do,"  verses  23 
and  32.  Herein  they  differed  from  the  pharisees  and 
other  Jews,  that  did  not  come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  at 
the  time  that  the  great  Son  of  David  appeared  to  set  up 
his  kingdom  in  the  world,  whom  Christ  condemns,  that 
they  had  not  understanding  of  those  times,  Luke,  7  :  bQ, 
"  Ye  hypocrites,  ye  can  discern  the  face  of  the  sky  and 
of  the  earth ;  but  how  is  it  that  ye  do  not  discern  these 
times  ]"  So  it  always  will  be,  when  Christ  remarkably 
appears  on  earth  on  a  design  of  setting  up  his  kingdom 
here,  there  will  be  many  that  will  not  understand  the 
times,  nor  what  Israel  ought  to  do,  and  so  will  not  come 
to  turn  about  the  kingdom  to  David. 

The  favorable  notice  that  God  will  take  of  such  as  ap- 
pear to  promote  the  work  of  God  at  such  a  time  as  this, 
may  also  be  argued  from  such  a  very  particular  notice 
being  taken  in  the  sacred  records  of  those  that  helped  in 
rebuilding  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  upon  the  return  from 
the  Babylonish  captivity.  Neh.  chap.  3. 


216  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

4.  Men  in  authority,  and  especially  Ministers  of  the  Gospel, 
bound  to  acknowledge  the  work  of  God. 

At  such  a  time  as  this,  w^hen  God  is  setting  his  King 
on  his  holy  hill  of  Zion,  or  establishing  his  dominion, 
or  showing  forth  his  regal  glory  from  thence,  he  expects 
that  his  visible  people,  without  exception,  should  openly 
appear  to  acknowledge  him  in  such  a  work,  and  bow  be- 
fore him,  and  join  with  him.  But  especially  does  he  ex- 
pect this  of  civil  rulers  :  God's  eye  is  especially  upon 
them,  to  see  how  they  behave  themselves  on  such  an  oc- 
casion. If  a  new  king  comes  to  the  throne,  when  he  comes 
from  abroad,  and  enters  into  his  kingdom,  and  makes  his 
solemn  entry  into  the  royal  city,  it  is  expected  that  all 
sorts  should  acknowledge  him;  but  above  all  others  is  it 
expected  that  the  great  men  and  public  officers  of  the 
nation  should  then  make  their  appearance  and  attend  on 
their  sovereign  with  suitable  congratulations  and  mani- 
festations of  respect  and  loyalty  :  if  such  as  these  stand 
at  a  distance  at  such  a  time,  it  will  be  much  more  taken 
notice  of,  and  will  awaken  the  prince's  jealousy  and  dis- 
pleasure much  more  than  such  a  behavior  in  the  common 
people.  And  thus  it  is  when  the  eternal  Son  of  God  and 
Heir  of  the  world,  by  whom  kings  reign  and  princes  de- 
cree justice,  whom  his  Father  has  appointed  to  be  King 
of  kings,  comes  as  it  were  from  far,  and  in  the  spiritual 
tokens  of  his  presence  enters  into  the  royal  city  Zion. 
God  has  his  eye  at  such  a  time  especially  upon  those 
princes,  nobles,  and  judges  of  the  earth  spoken  of  Prov. 
8  :  16,  to  see  how  they  behave  themselves,  whether  they 
bow  to  him  that  he  has  made  the  head  of  all  principality 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  217 

and  power.  This  is  evident  by  the  2d  Psalm,  verses  6,  7, 
10-12  :  **  Yet  have  I  set  my  King  upon  my  holy  hill  of 
Zion.  I  will  declare  the  decree;  the  Lord  hath  said  unto 
me,  Thou  art  my  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  thee.  Be 
wise  now  therefore,  O  ye  kings,  be  instructed,  ye  judges 
of  the  earth;  serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  rejoice  with 
trembling ;  kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish 
from  the  way  when  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little." 
There  seems  to  be  in  the  words  an  allusion  to  a  new 
king's  coming  to  the  throne,  and  making  his  solemn  en- 
try into  the  royal  city  (as  Zion  was  the  royal  city  in  Is- 
rael;) when  it  is  expected  that  all,  especially  men  in  pub- 
lic office  and  authority,  should  manifest  their  loyalty  by 
some  open  and  visible  token  of  respect  hy  the  way,  as  he 
passes  along ;  and  those  that  refuse  or  neglect  it  are  in 
danger  of  being  immediately  struck  down  and  perish- 
ing yrww  the  way  by  which  the  king  goes  in  solemn 
procession. 

The  day  wherein  God  in  an  eminent  manner  sends 
forth  the  rod  of  Christ's  strength  out  of  Zion,  that  he  may 
rule  in  the  midst  of  his  enemies,  the  day  of  his  power, 
wherein  his  people  shall  be  made  willing,  is  also  eminent- 
ly a  day  of  his  wrath,  especially  to  such  rulers  as  oppose 
him,  or  will  not  bow  to  him ;  a  day  wherein  he  "  shall 
strike  through  kings  and  fill  the  places  with  the  dead  bo- 
dies, and  wound  the  heads  over  many  countries."  Psalm 
110.  And  thus  it  is  that  when  the  Son  of  God  ^^  girds 
his  sword  upon  his  thigh,  with  his  glory  and  his  majesty, 
and  in  his  majesty  rides  prosperously,  because  of  truth,  meek- 
ness and  righteousness,  his  right  hand  teaches  him,  terrible 
things.''^  It  was  the  princes  of  Succoth  especially  that  suf- 
fered punishment  when  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  re- 
Revival  of  Rei.  10 


218  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

fused  to  come  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  as  Gideon  vv^as 
pursuing  after  Zebah  and  Zalmunna;  we  read  that  Gideon 
took  the  elders  of  the  city,  and  thorns  of  the  wilderness 
and  briers,  and  with  them  he  taught  the  men  of  Succoth. 
It  is  especially  taken  notice  of  that  the  rulers  and  chief 
men  of  Israel  were  called  upon  to  assist  in  the  work  of 
bringing  up  the  ark  of  God ;  they  were  chiefly  consulted, 
and  W€re  principal  in  the  management  of  the  affair.  1 
Chron.  13  :  1,  "  And  David  consulted  with  the  captains 
of  thousands  and  hundreds,  and  with  every  leader."  And 
chap.  15  :  25,  '*  So  David  and  the  elders  of  Israel  and 
the  captains  over  thousands  went  to  bring  up  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  of  the  Lord  out  of  the  house  of  Obed-Edom 
with  joy."  So  2  Sam.  6  :  1.  And  so  it  was  when  the 
ark  was  brought  mto  the  temple.  1  Kings,  8  :  13  j  and 
2  Chron.  5  :  2-4. 

And  as  rulers,  by  neglecting  their  duty  at  such  a  time, 
will  especially  expose  themselves  to  God's  great  displea- 
sure, so  by  fully  acknowledging  God  in  such  a  work,  and 
by  cheerfully  and  vigorously  exerting  themselves  to  pro- 
mote it,  they  will  especially  be  in  the  way  of  receiving 
peculiar  honors  and  rewards  at  God's  hands.  It  is  noted 
of  the  princes  of  Israel,  that  they  especially  appeared  to 
honor  God  with  their  princely  offering  on  the  occasion 
of  the  setting  up  the  tabernacle  of  God  in  the  congrega- 
tion of  Israel,  (which  I  have  observed  already  was  done 
at  the  time  of  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  and  was  a  type  of 
the  tabernacle  of  God's  being  with  men,  and  his  dwell- 
ing with  men  in  the  latter  days  ;)  and  with  what  abundant 
particularity  is  it  noted  of  each  prince,  how  much  he 
offered  to  God  on  that  occasion,  for  their  everlasting  ho- 
nor, in  the  7th  chapter  of  Numbers.  And  with  how  much 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  219 

favor  and  honor  does  the  Spirit  of  God  take  notice  of 
those  princes  in  Israel  that  came  to  the  help  of  the  Lord 
in  the  war  against  Sisera.  Judges,  5:9.  "  My  heart  is 
towards  the  governors  of  Israel  that  offered  themselves 
willingly  among  the  people  ;"  and  verse  14,  "  Out  of  Ma- 
chir  came  down  governors  ;"  and  verse  15,  *'  The  princes 
of  Issachar  were  with  Deborah." 

In  the  account  that  we  have  of  the  rebuilding  of  the 
wall  of  Jerusalem,  in  the  third  chapter  of  Nehemiah,  it  is 
particularly  noted  what  part  one  and  another  of  the  ru- 
lers had  in  the  work  :  we  have  an  account  that  such  a 
part  of  the  wall  was  repaired  by  the  ruler  of  the  half  part 
of  Jerusalem,  and  such  a  part  by  the  ruler  of  the  other 
half  part  of  Jerusalem,  and  such  a  part  by  the  ruler  of 
part  of  Bethhaccerem,  and  such  a  part  by  the  ruler  of  part 
of  Mizpah,  and  such  a  part  by  the  ruler  of  the  half  part 
of  Bethzur :  and  such  a  part  by  the  ruler  of  Mizpah,  verses 
9-19.  And  there  it  is  particularly  noted  of  the  rulers  of 
one  of  the  cities,  that  they  put  not  their  necks  to  the  work 
of  the  Lord,  though  the  common  people  did ;  and  they 
are  stigmatized  for  it  in  the  sacred  records  to  their  ever- 
lasting reproach,  verse  5  :  *'  And  next  unto  them,  the 
Tekoites  repaired ;  but  their  nobles  put  not  their  necks 
to  the  work  of  the  Lord."  So  the  Spirit  of  God  with 
special  honor  takes  notice  of  princes  and  rulers  of  se- 
veral tribes  that  assisted  in  bringing  up  the  ark.  Psalm 
68  :  27. 

And  I  humbly  desire  that  it  may  be  considered  whether 
we  have  not  reason  to  fear  that  God  is  provoked  with 
this  land  that  no  more  notice  has  been  taken  of  this  glo- 
rious work  of  the  Lord,  that  has  been  lately  carried  on,  3y 
the  ciinl  mithorities  ;  that  there  has  been  no  more  done  by 


) 


220  THOUGHTS    ON   THE    REVIVAL. 

them  as  a  public  acknowledgment  of  God  in  this  work, 
and  no  more  improvement  of  their  authority  to  promote 
it,  either  by  appointing  a  day  of  public  thanksgiving  to 
God  for  so  unspeakable  a  mercy,  or  a  day  of  fasting  and 
prayer,  to  humble  ourselves  before  God  for  our  past  dead- 
ness  and  unprofitableness  under  the  means  of  grace,  and 
to  seek  the  continuance  and  increase  of  the  tokens  of  his 
presence ;  or  so  much  as  to  enter  upon  any  public  consul- 
tation what  should  be  done  to  advance  the  present  revival 
of  religion  and  great  reformation  that  is  begun  in  the  land. 
Is  there  not  danger  that  such  a  behavior,  at  such  a  time, 
will  be  interpreted  by  God  as  a  denial  of  Christ  1  If  but 
a  new  governor  comes  into  a  province  how  much  is  there 
done,  especially  by  those  that  are  in  authority,  to  put 
honor  upon  him,  to  arise  and  appear  publicly,  and  go 
forth  to  meet  him,  to  address  and  congratulate  him,  and 
vnth  great  expense  to  attend  upon  him  and  aid  him  1  If 
the  authority  of  the  province,  on  such  an  occasion,  should 
all  sit  still  and  say  and  do  nothing,  and  take  no  notice  of 
their  new  governor,  would  there  not  be  danger  of  its  be- 
ing interpreted  by  him,  and  his  prince  that  sent  him,  as 
a  denial  of  his  authority,  or  a  refusing  to  receive  him  and 
honor  him  as  their  governor  ]  And  shall  the  head  of  the 
angels  and  Lord  of  the  universe  come  down  from  hea- 
ven in  so  wonderful  a  manner  into  the  land,  and  shall  all 
stand  at  a  distance  and  be  silent  and  inactive  on  such  an 
occasion  ?  I  would  humbly  recommend  it  to  our  rulers 
to  consider  whether  God  does  not  now  say  to  them.  Be 
wise  noio,  ye  rulers,  he  instructed,  ye  judges  of  Neia  Eng- 
land ;  kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  he  angry,  and  ye  perish  from 
the  way. 
.  '  It  is  prophesied,  Zech.  12  :  8,  that  in  the  glorious  day 


J^'- 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  221 

of  the  christian  church  the  house  of  David,  or  the  rulers 
in  God's  Israel,  shall  be  as  God,  as  tlie  angel  of  the  Lord 
before  his  people.  But  how  can  such  rulers  expect  to  have 
any  share  in  this  glorious  promise,  that  do  not  so  much 
as  openly  acknowledge  God  in  the  work  of  the  Spirit  by 
which  the  glory  of  that  day  is  to  be  accomplished  1  The 
days  are  coming  so  often  spoken  of,  when  the  saints  shall 
reign  on  earth,  and  all  dominion  and  authority  shall  be 
given  into  their  hands  :  but  if  our  rulers  would  partake  ,  /T^lf^ 
of  this  honor,  they  ought  at  such  a  day  as  this  to  bring 
their  glory  and  honor  into  the  spiritual  Jerusalem,  agreea- 
bly to  Rev.  21  :  24. 

But  above  all  others  is  God's  eye  upon  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  as  expecting  of  them  that  they  should  arise  and 
acknowledge  and  honor  him  in  such  a  work  as  this,  and 
do  their  utmost  to  encourage  and  promote  it;   for  to  pro-   ^.^^'    ^^^^ 
mote  such  a  work  is  the  very  business  which  they  are^  '^l^t*^'^ 
called  and  devoted  to  ;  it  is  the  office  to  which  they  are        -^^^^ 
appointed  as  co-workers  with  Christ,  and  as  his  ambassa- 
dors and  instruments  to  awaken  and  convert  sinners,  and 
establish,  build  up,  and  comfort  saints  ;  it  is  the  business 
they  have  been  solemnly  charged  with  before   God,  an- 
gels and  men,  and  that  they  have  given  up  themselves  to 
by  the  most  sacred  vows.     These  especially  are  the  offi-  - 
cers  of  Christ's  kingdom  that,  above  all  other  men  upon  y 
earth,  do  represent  his  person,  into  whose  hands  Christ  / 
has  committed  the  sacred  oracles  and  holy  ordinances,  \ 
and  all  his  appointed  means  of  grace  to  be  administered 
by  them  ;  they  are  the  stewards  of  his   household,  into 
whose  hands  he  has  committed  his  provision ;  the  im- 
mortal souls  of  men  are  committed  to  them,  as  a  flock  of 


^•^ 


( 


222  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

sheep  are  committed  to  the  care  of  a  shepherd,  or  as  a 
master  commits  a  treasure  to  the  care  of  a  servant,  of 
v^rhich  he  must  give  an  account :  it  is  expected  of  them, 
above  all  others,  that  they  should  have  understanding  of 
the  times,  and  know  what  Israel  ought  to  do ;  for  it  is 
their  business  to  acquaint  themselves  with  things  pertain- 
ing to  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  to  teach  and  enlighten 
others  in  things  of  this  nature. 

We  that  are  employed  in  the  sacred  work  of  the  Gos- 
pel ministry,  are  the  watchmen  over  the  city,  to  whom 
God  has  committed  the  keys  of  the  gates  of  Zion ;  and  if 
when  the  rightful  King  of  Zion  comes  to  deliver  his  peo- 
ple from  the  enemy  that  oppresses  them,  we  refuse  to 
open  the  gates  to  him,  how  greatly  shall  we  expose  our- 
selves to  his  wrath  !  We  are  appointed  to  be  the  captains 
of  the  host  in  this  war  ;  and  if  a  general  will  highly  re- 
sent it  in  a  private  soldier  if  he  refuses  to  follow  him 
when  his  banner  is  displayed  and  his  trumpet  blown,  how 
much  more  will  he  resent  it  in  the  officers  of  his  army ! 
The  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry  consisting  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  God's  word  and  ordinances,  is  the  princi- 
pal means  that  God  has  appointed  for  carrying  on  his 
work  in  the  souls  of  men  ;  and  it  is  his  revealed  will,  that 
whenever  that  glorious  revival  of  religion  and  reforma- 
tion of  the  world,  so  often  spoken  of  in  his  word,  is  ac- 
complished, it  should  be  principally  by  the  labors  of  his 
ministers ;  and  therefore  how  heinous  will  it  be  in  the 
sight  of  God,  if  when  a  work  of  that  nature  is  begun,  we 
appear  unbelieving,  slow,  backward,  and  disaffected'? 
'^There  was  no  class  of  persons  among  the  Jews  that  was 
in  any  measure  treated  with  such  manifestations  of  God's 
great  displeasure  and  severe  indignation  for  not  acknow- 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  223 

lodging  Christ  and  the  work  of  his  Spirit,  in  the  days  of 
Christ  and  his  apostles,  as  the  ministers  of  religion :  see 
how  Christ  deals  with  them  for  it,  in  the  23d  chapter  of 
Matthew.  With  what  gentleness  did  Christ  treat  publi- 
cans and  harlots,  in  comparison  of  them  ! 

When  the  tabernacle  was  erected  in  the  camp  of  Israel, 
and  God  came  down  from  heaven  to  dwell  in  it,  the 
priests  were  above  all  others  concerned  and  busily  em- 
ployed in  the  solemn  transactions  of  that  occasion,  Levit. 
chap.  8  and  9.  And  so  it  was  at  the  time  of  the  dedication 
of  the  temple  of  Solomon,  1  Kings,  chap.  8,  and  2  Chron. 
chap.  5,  6  and  7,  which  was  at  the  time  of  the  feast  of  ta- 
bernacles, at  the  same  time  that  the  tabernacle  was  erect- 
ed in  the  wilderness  :  and  the  Levites  were  primarily 
and  most  immediately  concerned  in  bringing  up  the  ark 
into  mount  Zion  ;  the  business  properly  belonged  to  them, 
and  the  ark  was  carried  upon  their  shoulders,  1  Chron. 
15  :  2,  "  Then  David  said.  None  ought  to  carry  the  ark 
of  God  but  the  Levites  ;  for  them  hath  the  Lord  chosen 
to  carry  the  ark  of  God  and  to  minister  unto  him  for 
ever."  And  v.  11,  12,  "  David  called  for  Zadok  and  Abi- 
athar  the  priests,  and  for  the  Levites,  for  Uriel,  Asaiah, 
and  Joel,  Shemaiah,  and  Eliel,  and  Aminadab,  and  said 
unto  them.  Ye  are  the  chief  of  the  fathers  of  the  Le- 
vites ;  sanctify  yourselves,  both  ye  and  your  brethren, 
that  you  may  bring  up  the  ark  of  the  Lord  God  of  Is- 
rael unto  the  place  that  I  have  prepared  for  it."  So  we 
have  an  account  that  the  priests  led  the  way  in  rebuild- 
ing the  wall  of  Jerusalem  after  the  Babylonish  captiv- 
ity, Neh.  3. 

If  ministers  preach  never  so  good  doctrine,  and  are 
never  so  active  and  laborious  in  their  work,  yet,  if  at  such 


fvi£>ti 


224  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

a  day  as  this  they  show  to  their  people  that  they  are  not 
w^ell  affected  to  this  work,  but  are  very  doubtful  and  sus- 
picious of  it,  they  will  be  very  likely  to  do  their  people  a 
great  deal  more  hurt  than  good  :  for  the  very  fame  of 
such  a  great  and  extraordinary  work  of  God,   if  their 
people  were  suffered  to  believe  it  to  be  his  work,  and  the 
example  of  other  towns,  together  with  what  preaching 
they  might  hear  occasionally,  would  be  likely  to  have  a 
much  greater  influence  upon  the  minds  of  their  people 
^i      to  awaken  them  and  animate  them  in  religion  than  all 
^     their  labors    with    them.    And  besides,  their  minister's 
opinion  will  not  only  beget  in  them  a  suspicion  of  the 
work  they  hear  of  abroad,  whereby  the  mighty  hand  of 
God  that  appears  in   it   loses    its   influence  upon  their 
minds,  but  it  will  also  tend  to  create  a  suspicion  of  every 
^-^ ,  thing  of  the  like  nature  that  shall  appear  among  them- 
■'^     selves,  as  being  something  of  the  same  distemper  that  has 
^  ,/w      become  so  epidemical  in  the  land  ;  and  that  is,  in  effect, 
^'^        to  create  a  suspicion  of  all  vital  religion,  and  to  put  the 
people  upon  talking  against  it  and  discouraging  it  wher- 
^        ever  it  appears,  and  knocking  it  in  the  head  as  fast  as  it 
jp        rises.  And  we  that  are  ministers,  by  looking  on  this  work, 
^^        from  year  to  year,  with  a  displeased  countenance,  shall 
^^      effectually  keep  the  sheep  from  their  pasture,  instead^f 
/^       doing  the  part  of  shepherds  to  them  by  feeding  thenpi  j 
I>'«''*^     and  our  people  had  a  great  deal  better  be  without  any 
\^^     settled  minister  at  all  at  such  a  day  as  this. 
i«^^/        We  that  are  in  this  sacred  office  have  need  to  take 
^  Jf     heed  what  we  do,  and  how  we  behave   ourselves  at  this 
,^         time  :  a  less  thing  in  a  minister  will  hinder  the  work  of 
■^  "      God  than  in  others.    If  we  are  very  silent,  or  say  but 
little  about  the  work  in  our  public  prayers  and  preach- 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  225 

mg,  or  seem  carefully  to  avoid  speaking  of  it  in  our  con- 
versation, it  will  and  justly  may  be  interpreted  by  our 
people,  that  we  who  are  their  guides,  to  whom  they  are 
to  have  their  eye  for  spiritual  instruction,  are  suspicious 
of  it ;  and  this  will  tend  to  raise  the  same  suspicions  in 
them  ;   and  so  the  forementioned  consequences  will  fol- 
low. And  if  we  really  hinder   and  stand  in   the  way  of 
the  work  of  God,  whose  business  above  all  others  it  is  to 
promote  it,  how  can  we  expect  to  partake  of  the  glorious 
benefits  of  it  1  And  by  keeping  others  from  the  benefit  of 
it  we  shall  keep  them   out  of  heaven  ;  therefore  those 
awful  words  of  Christ  to  the  Jewish  teachers  should  be 
considered  by  us.  Matt.  23  :  13,  "  Wo  unto  you,  for  ye    > 
shut  up  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  for  ye  neither  go  in    7 
yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them  that  are  entering  to  go  \ 
in."     If  we  keep  the  sheep  from  their  pasture,  how  shall  '^ 
we  answer  it  to  the  great  Shepherd  that  has  bought  the 
flock  with  his  precious  blood,  and  has  committed  the  care  J 
of  them  to  us  1    I  would  humbly  desire  of  every  minister 
that  has  thus  long  remained  disaffected  to  this  work,  and 
has  had  contemptible  thoughts  of  it,  to  consider  whether    fs,,^^  »- 
he  has  not  hitherto  been  like  Michal,  without  any  child,   ^''?^**', 
or  at  least  in  a  sfreat  measure  barren  and  unsuccessful  in  k>»c-^<+«* 
his  work  :  I  pray  God  it  may  not  be  a  perpetual  barren-  #rdr>rtf^«i 
ness,  as  hers  was  -'^''-^2^^ 

The  times  of  Christ's  remarkably  appearing  in  behalf  *"»"'«*n. 
of  his  church  and  to  revive  religion>and  advance  his  king- 
dom in  the  world,  are  often  spoken  of  in  the  prophecies 
of  Scripture,  as  times  wherein  he  will  remarkably  exe- 
cute judgments  on  such  ministers  or  shepherds  as  do  not 
feed  the  flock,  but  hinder  their  being  fed,  and  so  deliver 
his  flock  from  them,  as  Jer.  23,  and  Ezek.  34,  and  Zech. 

10* 


226  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

10  : 3,  and  Isa.  56  :  7,  8,  9,  &c.  I  observed  before  that 
Christ's  solemn,  magnificent  entry  into  Jerusalem,  seems 
to  be  designed  as  a  representation  of  his  glorious 
coming  into  his  church,  the  spiritual  Jerusalem ;  and 
therefore^  it  is  v^orthy  to  be  noted,  to  our  present  pur- 
pose/that Christ  at  that  time  cast  out  all  them  that  sold 
and  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the  tables  of 
the  money-changers,  and  the  seats  of  them  that  sold  doves; 
signifying  that  w^hen  he  should  come  to  set  up  his  king- 
dom on  earth,  he  would  cast  those  out  of  his  house  who, 
instead  of  being  faithful  ministers,  officiated  there  only 
for  worldly  gain.  Not  that  I  determine  that  all  ministers 
that  are  suspicious  of  this  work  do  so  ;  but  I  mention 
these  things  to  show  that  it  is  to  be  expected  that  a 
time  of  a  glorious  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
to  revive  religion,  will  be  a  time  of  remarkable  judg- 
ments on  those  ministers  that  do  not  serve  the  end  of 
their  ministry. 

The  example  of  the  unbelieving  lord  in  Samaria 
should  especially  be  for  the  warning  of  ministers  and 
rulers  :  at  the  time  when  God  turned  an  extreme  famine 
into  a  great  plenty  by  a  wonderful  work  of  his,  the  king 
appointed  this  lord  to  have  the  charge  of  the  gate  of  the 
city;  where  he  saw  the  common  people  in  multitudes 
entering  with  great  joy  and  gladness,  loaded  with  provi- 
sion to  feed  and  feast  their  almost  famished  bodies  ;  but 
he  himself,  though  he  saw  it  with  his  eyes,  never  had  one 
taste  of  it,  but  being  weak  with  famine,  sunk  down  in 
the  crowd,  and  was  trodden  to  death,  as  a  punishment  of 
God  for  his  not  giving  credit  to  that  great  and  wonder- 
ful work  of  God,  when  sufficiently  manifested  to  him  to 
require  his  belief.     Ministers  are  those  that  the  King  of 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  227 

the  church  has  appointed  to  have  the  charge  of  the  gate 
at  which  his  people  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
there  to  be  entertained  and  satisfied  v^ith  an  eternal 
feast :  ministers  have  the  charge  of  the  house  of  God, 
which  is  the  gate  of  heaven. 

Ministers  should  especially  take  heed  of  a  spirit  of 
envy  towards  other  ministers  that  God  is  pleased  to 
make  more  use  of  in  this  work  than  themselves ;  and 
that  they  do  not,  from  such  a  spirit,  reproach  some 
preachers  that  have  the  true  spirit,  ^s  though  they  were 
influenced  by  a  false  spirit,  or  were  bereft  of  reason,  and 
were  mad,  and  were  proud,  false  pretenders,  and  de- 
served to  be  put  in  prison  or  the  stocks,  as  disturbers  of 
the  peace ;  lest  they  expose  themselves  to  the  curse  of 
Shemaiah  the  Nehelamite,  who  envied  the  prophet  Jer- 
emiah, and  in  this  manner  reviled  him  in  his  letter  to 
Zephaniah  the  priest,  Jer..29  :  26,  27  :  "  The  Lord  hath 
made  thee  priest  in  the  stead  of  Jehoiada  the  priest, 
that  ye  should  be  officers  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  for 
every  man  that  is  mad,  and  maketh  himself  a  prophet, 
that  thou  shouldst  put  him  in  prison,  and  in  the  stocks. 
Now  therefore,  why  hast  thou  not  reproved  Jeremiah  of 
Anathoth,  which  maketh  himself  a  prophet  to  you  V 
His  curse  is  denounced  in  the  32d  verse  :  "  Therefore, 
thus  saith  the  Lord,  behold,  I  will  punish  Shemaiah  the 
Nehelamite,  and  his  seed  ;  he  shall  not  have  a  man  to 
dwell  among  his  people,  neither  shall  he  behold  the  good 
that  I  will  do  for  my  people,  saith  the  Lord,  because 
he  hath  taught  rebellion  against  the  Lord."  All  those  that 
are  others'  superiors  or  elders,  should  take  heed  that  at 
this  day  they  be  not  like  the  elder  brother,  who  could 
not  bear  it  that  the  prodigal  should  be  made  so  much  of, 


228  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

and  should  be  so  sumptuously  entertained,  and  would 
not  join  in  the  joy  of  the  feast ;  who  was,  like  Michal, 
Saul's  daughter,  offended  at  the  music  and  dancing_lhat 
he  heard  ;  the  transports  of  joy  displeased  him ;  it  seem- 
ed to  him  to  be  an  unseemly  and  unseasonable  noise  and 
ado  that  was  made ;  and  therefore  he  stood  at  a  distance, 
sullen  and  much  offended,  and  full  of  invectives  against 
the  young  prodigal. 

It  is  our  wisest  and  best  way  fully,  and  without  reluc- 
tance, to  bow  to  the  great  God  in  this  work,  and  to  be 
entirely  resigned  to  him  with  respect  to  the  manner  in 
which  he  carries  it  on,  and  the  instruments  he  is  pleased 
to  make  use  of,  and  not  to  show  ourselves  out  of  humor, 
and  sullenly  to  refuse  to  acknowledge  the  work  in  the 
full  glory  of  it,  because  we  have  not  had  so  great  a  hand 
in  promoting  it,  or  have  not  shared  so  largely  in  the  bless- 
ings of  it  as  some  others  ;  and  not  to  refuse  to  give  all 
that  honor  that  belongs  to  others  as  instruments,  because 
they  are  young,  or  are  upon  other  accounts  much  infe- 
rior to  ourselves  and  many  others,  and  may  appear  to  us 
very  unworthy  that  God  should  put  so  much  honor  upon 
them.  When  God  comes  to  accomplish  any  great  work 
for  his  church,  and  for  the  advancement  of  the  kingdom 
of  his  Son,  he  always  fulfils  that  scripture,  Isa.  2  :  17  : 
"And  the  loftiness  of  man  shall  be  bowed  down,  and  the 
haughtiness  of  men  shall  be  made  low,  and  the  Lord 
alone  shall  be  exalted  in  that  day."  If  God  has  a  desio*u 
of  carrying  on  this  work,  every  one,  whether  he  be  great 
or  small,  must  either  bow  to  it,  or  be  broken  before  it : 
it  may  be  expected  that  God's  hand  will  be  upon  every 
thing  that  is  high,  and  stiff,  and  strong  in  opposition,  as  in 
Isaiah,    2    :    12— 15  :"  For  the  day  of  the  Lord  of  hosts 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  229 

shall  be  upon  every  one  that  is  proud  and  lofty,  and 
upon  every  one  that  is  lifted  up,  and  he  shall  be  brought 
low ;  and  upon  all  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  that  are  high 
and  lifted  up,  and  upon  all  the  oaks  of  Bashan,  and  upon 
all  the  high  mountains,  and  upon  all  the  hills  that  are 
lifted  up,  and  upon  every  high  tower,  and  upon  every 
fenced  wall." 

Not  only  magistrates  and  ministers,  but  every  living 
soul  is  now  obliged  to  acknowledge  God  in  this  work, 
and  join  to  promote  it,  as  they  would  not  expose  them- 
selves to  God's  curse.  All  sorts  of  persons  throughout 
the  whole  congregation  of  Israel,  great  and  small,  rich 
and  poor,  men  and  women,  helped  to  build  the  taberna- 
cle in  the  wilderness ;  some  in  one  way,  others  in  ano- 
ther ;  each  one  according  to  his  own  capacity ;  every 
one  whose  heart  stirred  him  up,  and  every  one  whom 
his  spirit  made  willing ;  all  classes  contributed,  all  were 
employed  in  that  affair  in  labors  of  their  hands,  both  men 
and  women  ;  some  brought  gold  and  silver  ;  others  blue, 
purple  and  scarlet,  and  fine  linen ;  others  offered  an  of- 
fering of  brass ;  others,  with  whom  was  found  Shittim 
wood,  brought  it  an  offering  to  the  Lord  :  the  rulers 
brought  onyx  stones,  and  spice,  and  oil ;  and  some 
brought  goats'  hair;  and  some  rams'  skins,  and  others 
badgers'  skins.  See  Exod.  35  :  20,  &c.  And  we  are 
told,  verse  29,  "  The  children  of  Israel  brought  a  will- 
ing offering  unto  the  Lord,  every  man  and  woman  whose 
heart  made  them  willing."  And  thus  it  ought  to  be  in 
this  day  of  building  the  tabernacle  of  God  ;  with  such  a 
willing  and  cheerful  heart  ought  every  man,  woman  and 
child  to  do  something  to  promote  this  work  :  those  that 


230  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

have  not  onyx  stones,  or  are  not  able  to  bring  gold  or 
silver,  yet  may  bring  goats'  hair. 

As  all  sorts  of  persons  v^ere  employed  in  building  the 
tabernacle  in  the  wilderness,  so  the  vv^hole  congregation 
of  Israel  were  called  together  to  set  up  the  tabernacle  in 
Shiloh,  after  they  came  into  Canaan.  Josh.  18  :  1.  And 
so  again,  the  whole  congregation  of  Israel  were  gathered 
together  to  bring  up  the  ark  of  God  from  Kirjathjearim  ; 
and  again,  they  were  all  assembled  to  bring  it  up  out  of 
the  house  of  Ohed-Edom  into  mount  Zion ;  so  again,  all 
Israel  met  together  to  assist  in  the  great  affair  of  the 
dedication  of  the  temple,  and  bringing  the  ark  into  it ; 
and  so  we  have  an  account  how  that  all  sorts  assisted  in 
rebuilding  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  not  only  the  proper 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  but  those  that  dwelt  in  other 
parts  of  the  land ;  not  only  the  priests  and  rulers,  but 
the  Nethinims  and  merchants,  husbandmen,  and  me- 
chanics, and  women,  Neh.  3  :  5,  12,  26,  31,  32.  And 
we  have  an  account  of  one  and  another,  that  he  repaired 
over  against  his  house,  ver.  10,  and  23,  28,  and  of  one 
that  repaired  over  against  his  chamber,  ver.  30. 

So  now,  at  this  time  of  the  rebuilding  the  walls  of  Je- 
rusalem, every  one  ought  to  promote  the  work  of  God 
within  his  own  sphere,  and  by  doing  what  belongs  to  him 
in  the  place  in  which  God  has  set  him ;  men  in  a  private 
capacity  may  repair  over  against  their  houses ;  and  even 
those  that  have  not  the  government  of  families,  and  have 
but  part  of  a  house  belonging  to  them,  should  repair,  each 
one  over  against  his  chamber ;  and  every  one  should  be 
engaged  to  do  the  utmost  that  lies  in  his  power,  laboring 
with  the  utmost  watchfulness,  care  and  diligence,  with 
united  hearts  and  united  strength,  and  the  greatest  readi- 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  231 

ness  to  assist  one  another  in  this  work  :  as  God's  people 
rebuilt  the  wall  of  Jerusalem ;  who  were  so  diligent  in 
the  work  that  they  wrought  from  break  of  day  till  the 
stars  appeared,  and  did  not  so  much  as  put  off  their  clothes 
in  the  night ;  and  wrought  with  such  care  and  watchful- 
ness, that  with  one  hand  they  wrought  in  the  work,  and 
with  the  other  hand  held  a  weapon;  besides  the  guard 
they  set  to  defend  them  ;  and  were  so  well  united  in  it 
that  they  took  care  that  one  should  stand  ready  with  a 
trumpet  in  his  hand,  that  if  any  were  assaulted  in  one 
part  those  in  the  other  parts  at  the  sound  of  the  trumpet 
might  resort  to  them  and  help  them.  Neh.  4. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  that  the  press  should  be  im- 
proved to  no  pui^pose  contrary  to  the  interest  of  this  work. 
We  read  that  when  God  fought  against  Sisera  for  the  de- 
liverance of  his  oppressed  church,  they  that  handle  the  pen 
of  the  icriter  came  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  in  that  affair. 
Judges,  5  :  14.  Whatever  class  of  men  in  Israel  they 
were  that  were  intended,  yet  as  the  words  were  indited 
by  a  Spirit  that  had  a  perfect  view  of  all  events  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  and  had  a  special  eye  in  this  song  to 
that  great  event  of  the  deliverance  of  God's  church  in  the 
latter  days,  of  which  this  deliverance  of  Israel  was  a  type, 
it  is  not  unlikely  that  they  have  respect  to  authors,  those 
that  should  fight  against  the  kingdom  of  Satan  with  their 
pens.  Those  therefore  that  publish  pamphlets  to  the  dis- 
advantage of  this  work,  and  tending  either  directly  or  in- 
directly to  bring  it  under  suspicion,  and  to  discourage  or 
hinder  it,  would  do  well  thoroughly  to  consider  whether 
this  be  not  indeed  the  work  of  God  ;  and  whether,  if  it  be, 
it  is  not  likely  that  God  will  go  forth  as  fire  to  consume 
all  that  stands  in  his  way,  and  so  burn  up  those  pamphlets; 


232  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

and  whether  there  be  not  danger  that  the  fire  that  is  kin- 
dled in  them  w^ill  scorch  the  authors. 

When  a  people  oppose  Christ  in  the  w^ork  of  his  Holy 
Spirit,  it  is  because  it  touches  them  in  something  that  is 
dear  to  their  carnal  minds ;  and  because  they  see  the  ten- 
dency of  it  is  to  cross  their  pride  and  deprive  them  of  the 
objects  of  their  lusts.  We  should  take  heed  that  at  this 
day  we  be  not  like  the  Gadarenes,  w^ho,  w^hen  Christ 
came  into  their  country,  in  the  exercise  of  his  glorious 
powder  and ,  grace  triumphing  over  a  legion  of  devils  and 
delivering  a  miserable  creature  that  had  long  been  their 
captive,  were  all  alarmed  because  they  lost  their  swine 
by  it,  and  the  whole  multitude  of  the  country  came  and 
besought  him  to  depart  out  of  their  coasts  :  they  loved 
their  filthy  swine  better  than  Jesus  Christ,  and  had  rather 
have  a  legion  of  devils  in  their  country,  with  their  herd 
of  swine,  than  Jesus  Christ  without  them. 

This  work  may  be  opposed  without  directly  speaking 
against  the  whole  of  it ;  persons  may  say  that  they  believe 
there  is  a  good  work  carried  on  in  the  country,  and  may 
sometimes  bless  God  in  their  public  prayers,  in  general 
terms,  for  any  awakenings  or  revivals  of  religion  there 
have  lately  been  in  any  parts  of  the  land ;  and  may  pray 
that  God  would  carry  on  his  own  work  and  pour  out  his 
Spirit  more  and  more  ;  and  yet,  as  I  apprehend,  be  in  the 
sight  of  God  great  opposers  of  his  work.  Some  will  ex- 
press themselves  after  this  manner,  that  are  so  far  from 
acknowledging  and  rejoicing  in  the  infinite  mercy  and 
glorious  grace  of  God  in  causing  so  happy  a  change  in 
the  land,  that  they  look  upon  the  religious  state  of  the 
country,  take  it  in  the  whole  of  it,  as  much  more  sorrow- 
ful than  it  was  ten  years  ago ;  and  whose  conversation  to 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  233 

those  that  are  well  acquainted  with  them  evidently  shows 
that  they  are  more  out  of  humor  with  the  state  of  things, 
and  enjoy  themselves  less  than  they  did  before  ever  this 
work  began.  If  it  be  manifestly  thus  with  us,  and  our  talk 
and  behavior  with  respect  to  this  work  be  such  as  has 
(though  but)  an  indirect  tendency  to  beget  ill  thoughts 
and  suspicions  in  others  concerning  it,  we  are  opposers 
of  the  work  of  God. 

Instead  of  coming  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  we  shall  ac- 
tually fight  against  him  if  we  are  abundant  in  insisting 
on  and  setting  forth  the  blemishes  of  the  work,  so  as  to 
manifest  that  we  rather  choose  and  are  more  forward  to 
take  notice  of  what  is  amiss  than  what  is  good  and  glori- 
ous in  the  work.  Not  but  that  the  errors  that  are  com- 
mitted ought  to  be  observed  and  lamented,  and  a  proper 
testimony  borne  against  them,  and  the  most  probable 
means  used  to  have  them  amended  :  but  an  insisting  much 
upon  them,  as  though  it  were  a  pleasing  theme,  or  speak- 
ing of  them  with  more  appearance  of  heat  of  spirit  or  with 
ridicule,  or  an  air  of  contempt,  than  grief  for  them,  has 
no  tendency  to  correct  the  errors ;  but  has  a  tendency  to 
darken  the  glory  of  God's  power  and  grace  appearing 
in  the  substance  of  the  work,  and  to  beget  jealousies 
and  ill  thoughts  in  the  minds  of  others  concerning  the 
whole  of  it. 

Whatever  errors  many  zealous  persons  have  run  into, 
yet  if  the  work,  in  the  substance  of  k,  be  the  work  of  God, 
then  it  is  a  joyful  day  indeed  ;  it  is  so  in  heaven,  and  ought 
to  be  so  among  God's  people  on  earth,  especially  in  that 
part  of  the  earth  where  this  glorious  work  is  carried  on. 
It  is  a  day  of  great  rejoicing  with  Christ  himself,  the  good 
Shepherd,  when  he  finds  his  sheep  that  was  lost,  lays  it 


234  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

on  his  shoulders  rejoicing,  and  calls  together  his  friends 
and  neighbors,  saying,  rejoice  with  me.  If  w^e  therefore 
are  Christ's  friends  it  should  now  be  a  day  of  great  re- 
joicing with  us  ;  if  we  viewed  things  in  a  just  light,  so 
great  an  event  as  the  conversion  of  such  a  multitude  of 
sinners  would  draw  and  engage  our  attention  much  more 
than  all  the  imprudences  and  irregularities  that  have  ex- 
isted ;  our  hearts  would  be  swallowed  up  with  the  glory 
of  this  event,  and  we  should  have  no  great  disposition  to 
attend  to  any  thing  else.  The  imprudences  and  errors  of 
poor  feeble  worms  do  not  hinder  or  prevent  great  rejoic- 
ing, in  the  presence  of  the  angels  of  God,  over  so  many 
poor  sinners  that  have  repented ;  and  it  will  be  an  argu- 
ment of  something  very  ill  in  us,  if  they  prevent  our 
rejoicing. 

Who  loves  in  a  day  of  great  joy  and  gladness  to  be 
much  insisting  on  those  things  that  are  uncomfortable  1 
Would  it  not  be  very  improper,  on  a  king's  coronation 
day,  to  be  much  in  taking  notice  of  the  blemishes  of  the 
royal  family  ]  Or  would  it  be  agreeable  to  the  bride- 
groom on  the  day  of  his  espousals,  the  day  of  the  glad- 
ness of  his  heart,  to  be  much  insisting  on  the  blemishes 
of  his  bride  1  We  have  an  account  how  that,  at  the  time 
of  that  joyful  dispensation  of  Providence,  the  restoration 
of  the  church  of  Israel  after  the  Babylonish  captivity,  and 
at  the  time  of  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  many  wept  at  the 
faults  that  were  found  amongst  the  people,  but  were  re- 
proved for  taking  so  much  notice  of  the  blemishes  of  that 
affair  as  to  overlook  the  cause  of  rejoicing.  Neh.  8,  :  9, 
10,  11,  12,  "  And  Nehemiah,  which  is  the  Tirshatha,  and 
Ezra  the  priest,  the  scribe,  and  the  Levites  that  taught 
the  people,  said  unto  all  the  people,  this  day  is  holy  unto 


OBLIGATIONS    TO    PROMOTE    IT.  235 

the  Lord  your  God,  mourn  not  nor  weep  ;  for  all  the  peo- 
ple wept  when  they  heard  the  words  of  the  law.  Then 
he  said  unto  them,  go  your  way,  eat  the  fat  and  drink  the 
sweet,  and  send  portions  unto  them  for  whom  nothing  is 
prepared;  for  this  day  is  holy  unto  our  Lord ;  neither  be 
ye  sorry,  for  the  joy  of  the  Lord  is  your  strength.  So  the 
Levites  stilled  all  the  people,  saying,  hold  your  peace,  for 
the  day  is  holy,  neither  be  ye  grieved.  And  all  the  peo- 
ple went  their  way,  to  eat,  and  to  drink,  and  to  send  por- 
tions, and  to  make  great  mirth,  because  they  had  under- 
stood the  words  that  were  declared  unto  them." 

God  doubtless  now  expects  that  all  classes  of  persons 
in  New  England,  rulers,  ministers  and  people,  high  and 
low,  rich  and  poor,  old  and  young,  should  take  great  no- 
tice of  his  hand  in  this  mighty  work  of  his  grace,  and 
should  appear  to  acknowledge  his  glory  in  it  and  greatly 
to  rejoice  in  it,  every  one  doing  his  utmost  in  the  place 
that  God  has  set  them  in   to  promote  it.    And  God,  ac- 
cording to  his  wonderful  patience,  seems  to  be  still  wait-  ( 
ing  to  give  us  opportunity  thus  to  acknowledge  and  ha—!; 
nor  him.    But  if  we  finally  refuse,  there  is  not  the  least  [ 
reason  to  expect  any  other  than  that  his  awful  curse  will 
pursue  us,  and  that  the  pourings  out  of  his  wrath  will  be 
proportionable  to  the  despised  outpourings  of  his  Spirit 
and  grace. 


236  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 


PART    III. 


SHOWING,  IN  MANY  INSTANCES,  WHEREIN  THE  SUBJECTS, 
OR  ZEALOUS  PROMOTERS  OP  THIS  WORK,  HAVE  BEEN 
INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED. 

This  work,  that  has  lately  been  carried  on  in  the  land, 
is  the  work  of  God  and  not  the  work  of  man.  Its  begin- 
ning has  not  been  of  man's  power  or  device,  and  its  being 
carried  on  depends  not  on  our  strength  or  wisdom  ;  but 
yet  God  expects  of  all  that  they  should  use  their  utmost 
endeavors  to  promote  it,  and  that  the  hearts  of  all  should 
be  greatly  engaged  in  it,  and  that  we  should  improve  our 
utmost  strength  in  it,  however  vain  human  strength  is 
without  the  power  of  God  ;  and  so  he  no  less  requires 
that  we  should  improve  our  utmost  care,  wisdom  and 
prudence,  though  human  wisdom  of  itself  be  as  vain  as 
human  strength.  Though  God  is  wont  to  carry  on  such  a 
work  in  such  a  manner  as,  many  ways,  to  show  the 
weakness  and  vanity  of  means  and  human  endeavors  in 
themselves  ;  yet  at  the  same  time  he  carries  it  on  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  encourage  diligence  and  vigilance  in  the 
use  of  proper  means  and  endeavors,  and  to  punish  the 
neglect  of  them.  Therefore  in  our  endeavors  to  promote 
this  great  work  we  ought  to  use  the  utmost  caution,  vigi- 
lance and  skill  in  the  measures  we  take  in  order  to  it. 

A  great  work  should  be  managed  with  great  prudence  : 
this  is  the  most  important  work  that  ever  New  England 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  237 

was  called  to  be  concerned  in.  When  a  people  are  enga-— 
ged  in  war  with  a  powerful  and  crafty  nation,  it  concerns 
them  to  manage  an  affair  of  such  consequence  with  the 
utmost  discretion.  Of  what  vast  importance  then  must  it 
be  that  we  should  be  vigilant  and  prudent  in  the  manage- 
ment of  this  great  war  that  New  England  now  has  with 
so  great  a  host  of  such  subtle  and  cruel  enemies,  wherein 
we  must  either  conquer  or  be  conquered,  and  the  conse- 
quence of  the  victory,  on  one  side,  will  be  our  eternal 
destruction  in  both  soul  and  body  in  hell,  and  on  the 
other  side,  our  obtaining  the  kingdom  of  heaven  and 
reigning  in  it  in  eternal  glory  1  We  had  need  always  to 
stand  on  our  watch  and  to  be  well  versed  in  the  art  of 
war,  and  not  to  be  ignorant  of  the  devices  of  our  ene- 
mies, and  to  take  heed  lest  by  any  means  we  be  beguiled 
through  their  subtlety. 

Though  the  devil  be  strong,  yet  in  such  a  war  as  this 
he  depends  more  on  his  craft  than  his  strength  ;  and  the 
course  he  has  chiefly  taken,  from  time  to  time,  to  clog, 
hinder  and  overthrow  revivals  of  religion  in  the  church 
of  God,  has  been,  by  his  subtle,  deceitful  management, 
to  beguile  and  mislead  those  that  have  been  engaged 
therein  ;  and  in  such  a  course  God  has  been  pleased,  in 
his  holy  and  sovereign  providence,  to  suffer  him  to  suc- 
ceed, oftentimes  in  a  great  measure  to  overthrow  that 
which  in  its  beginning  appeared  most  hopeful  and  glo- 
rious. The  work  that  is  now  beguji  in  New  England  is,> 
as  I  have  shown,  eminently  glorious,  and  if  it  should  go  ^ 
on  and  prevail,  would  make  New  England  a  kind  of.^ 
heaven  upon  earth  :  is  it  not  therefore  greatly  to  be  de- 
precated that  it  should  be  overthrown  through  wrong  and 
improper  management  that  we  are  led  into  by  our  subtle 
adversary  in  our  endeavors  to  promote  it  1 


238  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

In  proceeding  to  treat  of  the  methods  that  ought  to  be 
taken  to  promote  this  vv^ork,  I  would, 

1.  Notice  some  instances  wherein  fault  has  been  found 
with  the  conduct  of  those  that  have  appeared  to  be  the 
subjects  of  it,  or  have  been  zealous  to  promote  it  (as  I 
apprehend)  beyond  just  cause. 

2.  I  would  show  what  things  ought  to  be  corrected  or 
avoided. 

3.  I  would  show  positively  what  ought  to  be  done  to 
promote  this  glorious  work  of  God. 

I  would  now  notice  some  things  at  which  offence 

HAS    BEEN    TAKEN    WITHOUT    OR    BEYOND    JUST    CAUSE. 

1.  The  complaint  that  ministers  address  themselves  too 
much  to  the  affections,  and  with  great  earnestness  of  voice 
and  manner. 

One  thing  that  has  been  complained  of,  is  ministers  ad- 
dressing themselves  rather  to  the  affections  of  their  hearers 
than  to  their  understandings,  and  striving  to  raise  their 
passions  to  the  utmost  height  rather  by  a  very  affection- 
ate manner  of  speaking  and  a  great  appearance  of  ear- 
nestness in  voice  and  gesture,  than  by  clear  reasoning 
and  informing  their  judgment :  by  which  means  it  is  ob- 
jected that  the  affections  are  moved  without  a  propor- 
tionable enlightening  of  the  understanding. 

To  which  I  would  say,  I  am  far  from  thinking  that  it 
is  not  very  profitable  for  ministers  in  their  preaching  to 
endeavor  clearly  and  distinctly  to  explain  the  doctrines  of 
religion  and  unravel  the  difficulties  that  attend  them,  and 
to  confirm  them  with  strength  of  reason  and  argumenta- 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  239 

tion,  and  also  to  observe  some  easy  and  clear  method  and 
order  in  their  discourses  for  the  help  of  the  understand- 
ing and  memory;  and  it  is  very  probable  that  these 
things  have  been  of  late  too  much  neglected  by  many 
ministers  ;  yet,  I  believe  that  the  objection  that  is  made, 
of  affections  raised  without  enlightening  the  understand- 
ing, is  in  a  great  measure  built  on  a  mistake  and  confu- 
sed notions  that  some  have  about  the  nature  and  cause  of 
the  affections  and  the  manner  in  v^^hich  they  depend  on 
the  understanding.  All  affections  are  raised  either  by 
light  in  the  understanding  or  by  some  error  and  delusion 
in  the  understanding ;  for  all  affections  do  certainly  arise 
from  some  apprehension  in  the  understanding ;  and  that 
apprehension  must  either  be  agreeable  to  truth  or  else 
be  some  mistake  or  delusion  ;  if  it  be  an  apprehension 
or  notion  that  is  agreeable  to  truth,  then  it  is  light  in  the 


Therefore  the  thing  to  be  inquired  into  is,  w^hether  the 
apprehensions  or  notions  of  divine  and  eternal  things 
that  are  raised  in  people's  minds  by  these  affectionate 
preachers,  w^hence  their  affections  are  excited,  be  appre- 
hensions that  are  agreeable  to  truth,  or  w^hether  they  are 
mistakes.  If  the  former,  then  the  affections  are  raised  the 
way  they  should  be,  by  informing  the  mind  or  conveying 
light  to  the  understanding. 

They  go  away  with  a  wrong  notion  that  think  that 
those  preachers  cannot  affect  their  hearers  by  enlighten- 
ing their  understandings,  that  do  not  do  it  by  such  a  dis- 
tinct and  learned  handling  of  the  doctrinal  points  of  reli- 
gion as  depends  on  human  discipline  or  the  strength  of 
natural  reason,  and  tends  to  enlarge  their  hearers'  learn- 
ing and  speculative  knowledge  in  divinity.    The  manner 


240  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

of  preaching  without  this,  may  be  such  as  shall  tend  very 
much  to  set  divine  and  eternal  things  in  a  right  vievr, 
and  to  give  the  hearers  such  ideas  and  apprehensions  of 
them  as  are  agreeable  to  truth,  and  make  such  impres- 
sions on  their  hearts  as  are  answerable  to  the  real  nature 
of  things  :  and  not  only  the  words  that  are  spoken,  but 
the  manner  of  speaking,  is  one  thing  that  has  a  great  ten- 
dency to  this. 

I  think  an  exceedingly  affectimiate  way  of  preaching 
about  the  great  things  of  religion  has  in  itself  no  ten- 
dency to  beget  false  apprehensions  of  them ;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  a  much  greater  tendency  to  beget  true  appre- 
hensions of  them  than  a  moderate,  dull,  indiiferent  way 
of  speaking  of  them.  An  appearance  of  affection  and 
earnestness  in  the  manner  of  delivery,  if  it  be  very  great 
indeed,  yet  if  it  be  agreeable  to  the  nature  of  the  subject, 
and  be  not  beyond  a  proportion  to  its  importance  and 
worthiness  of  affection,  and  if  there  be  no  appearance  of 
its  being  feigned  or  forced,  has  so  much  the  greater  ten- 
dency to  beget  true  ideas  or  apprehensions  in  the  minds 
of  the  hearers  of  the  subject  spoken  of,  and  so  to  enlight- 
en the  understanding  ;  and  that  for  this  reason,  that  such 
a  way  or  manner  of  speaking  of  these  things  does  in  fact 
more  truly  represent  them  than  a  more  cold  and  indiffer- 
ent way  of  speaking  of  them.  If  the  subject  be  in  its  own 
nature  worthy  of  very  great  affection,  then  a  speaking  of 
it  with  very  great  affection  is  most  agreeable  to  the  nature 
3f  that  subject,  or  is  the  truest  representation  of  it,  and 
therefore  has  most  of  a  tendency  to  beget  true  ideas  of  it 
in  the  minds  of  those  to  whom  the  representation  is  made. 
And  I  do  not  think  ministers  are  to  be  blamed  for  raising 
the  affections  of  their  hearers  too  high,   if  that  which 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  241 

they  are  affected  with  be  only  that  which  is  worthy  of 
affection,  and  their  affections  are  not  raised  beyond  a  pro- 
portion to  its  importance  or  worthiness  of  affection. 

I  should  think  myself  in  the  way  of  my  duty  to  raise 
the  affections  of  my  hearers  as  high  as  I  possibly  can, 
provided  that  they  are  affected  with  nothing  but  truth 
and  with  affections  that  are  not  disagreeable  to  the  nature 
of  what  they  are  affected  with.  I  know  it  has  long  been 
fashionable  to  despise  a  very  earnest  and  pathetical  way 
of  preaching  :  and  they,  and  they  only,  have  been  valued 
as  preachers  that  have  shown  the  greatest  extent  of 
learning,  and  strength  of  reason,  and  correctness  of  me- 
thod and  language  ;  but  I  humbly  conceive  it  has  been 
for  want  of  understanding  or  duly  considering  human 
nature  that  such  preaching  has  been  thought  to  have  the 
greatest  tendency  to  answer  the  ends  of  preaching :  and 
the  experience  of  the  present  and  past  ages  abundantly 
confirms  the  same. 

Though,  as  I  said  before,  clearness  of  distinction  and 
illustration,  and  strength  of  reason,  and  a  good  method 
in  the  doctrinal  handling  of  the  truths  of  religion,  is  many 
ways  needful  and  profitable  and  not  to  be  neglected,  yet 
an  increase  in  speculative  knowledge  in  divinity  is  not 
what  is  so  much  needed  by  our  people  as  something  else. 
Men  may  abound  in  this  sort  of  light  and  have  no  heat. 
How  much  has  there  been  of  this  sort  of  knowledge  in 
the  christian  world  in  this  age  !  Was  there  ever  an  age 
wherein  strength  and  penetration  of  reason,  extent  of 
learning,  exactness  of  distinction,  correctness  of  style, 
and  clearness  of  expression  did  so  abound  "i  And  yet  was 
there  ever  an  age  wherein  there  has  been  so  little  sense 
of  the  evil  of  sin,  so  little  love  to  God,  heavenly-minded- 

Revival  of  Rel.  H 


2i2  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

ness  and  holiness  of  life  among  the  professors  of  true 
religion  ]  Our  people  do  not  so  much  need  to  have  their 
heads  stored  as  to  have  their  hearts  touched ;  and  they 
stand  in  the  greatest  need  of  that  sort  of  preaching  that 
has  the  greatest  tendency  to  do  this. 

Those  texts,  Isa.  58  :  1,  "  Cry  aloud,  spare  not,  lift  up 
thy  voice  like  a  trumpet,  and  show  my  people  their 
transgression,  and  the  house  of  Jacob  their  sins ;"  and 
Ezek.  6:11,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  smite  v^^ith 
thine  hand,  and  stamp  with  thy  foot,  and  say,  alas,  for  all 
the  evil  abominations  of  the  house  of  Israel!"  I  say 
these  texts  (however  the  use  that  some  have  made  of 
them  has  been  laughed  at)  will  fully  justify  a  great  de- 
gree of  pathos  and  manifestation  of  zeal  and  fervency  in 
preaching  the  word  of  God  :  they  may  indeed  be  abused, 
to  justify  that  which  would  be  odd  and  unnatural  amongst 
us,  not  making  due  allowance  for  difference  of  manners 
and  customs  in  different  ages  and  nations  ;  but  let  us  in- 
terpret them  how  we  will,  they  at  least  imply  that  a  most 
affectionate  and  earnest  manner  of  delivery,  in  many 
cases,  becomes  a  preacher  of  God's  word. 

Preaching  the  word  of  God  is  commonly  spoken  of  in 
Scripture  in  such  expressions  as  seem  to  import  a  loud 
and  earnest  speaking;  as  in  Isa.  40  :  2,  "  Speak  ye  com- 
fortably to  Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her  that  her  iniquity 
is  pardoned  ;"  and  verse  3,  "  The  voice  of  him  that 
crieth  in  the  wilderness,  prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord." 
Ver.  6,  "  The  voice  said  cry  :  and  he  said,  what  shall  I 
cry  ?  All  flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the  gobdliness  thereof  as 
the  flower  of  the  field."  Jer.  2:2,  "  Go  and  cry  in  the 
ears  of  Jerusalem,  saying,  thus  saith  the  Lord,"  &c. 
Jonah,  1:2,  "  Arise,  go  to  Nineveh,  that  great  city,  and 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  243 

cry  against  it."  Isa.  61  :  1,2,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
God  is  upon  me,  because  the  Lord  hath  anointed  me  to 
preach  good  tidings  to  the  meek,  to  proclaim  liberty  to 
the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that 
are  bound,  to  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  day  of  vengeance  of  our  God."  Isa.  62  :  11, 
"  Behold,  the  Lord  hath  proclaimed  unto  the  end  of  the 
world,  say  ye  to  the  daughter  of  Zion,  behold  thy  salva- 
tion cometh."  Rom.  10  :  18,  ''  Their  sound  went  into  all 
the  earth,  and  their  words  to  the  end  of  the  world."  Jer. 
11:6,  *'  Proclaim  all  these  words  in  the  cities  of  Judah, 
and  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  saying,  hear  ye  the 
words  of  this  covenant,  and  do  them."  So  chap.  19  :  2, 
and  7  :  2.  Prov.  8:1,  "  Doth  not  wisdom  cry,  and  un- 
derstanding put  forth  her  voice  V  ver.  3,  4,  "  She  cri- 
eth  at  the  gates,  at  the  entry  of  the  city,  at  the  coming  in 
at  the  doors ;  unto  you,  O  men,  I  call,  and  my  voice  is  to 
the  SODS  of  men  !"  And  chap.  1  :  20,  "Wisdom  crieth 
without,  she  uttereth  her  voice  in  the  streets."  Chap. 
9:3,  "  She  hath  sent  forth  her  maidens,  she  crieth  upon 
the  high  places  of  the  city."  John,  7  :  37,  "  In  the  last 
day,  that  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried, 
saying,  if  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  me  and 
drink." 

It  seems  to  be  foretold  that  the  Gospel  should  be  espe- 
cially preached  in  a  loud  and  earnest  manner,  at  the  in- 
troduction of  the  prosperous  state  of  religion  in  the  lat- 
ter days.  Isa.  40  :  9,  "  O  Zion,  that  bringest  good  tidings, 
get  thee  up  into  the  high  mountain  !  O  Jerusalem,  that 
bringest  good  tidings,  lift  up  thy  voice  with  strength  ! 
Lift  up,  and  be  not  afraid  !  Say  unto  the  cities  of  Judah, 
behold  your  God  !"  Isa.  52  :  7,  S,  "  Row  beautiful  upon 


244  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  good  ti- 
dings !  Thy  watchmen  shall  lift  up  the  voice."  Isa.  27  : 
13,  **  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  great 
trumpet  shall  be  blow^n,  and  they  shall  come  which  were 
ready  to  perish."  And  this  will  be  one  way  that  the 
church  of  God  will  cry  at  that  time,  like  a  travailing 
woman,  when  Christ  mystical  is  going  to  be  brought 
forth  ;  as  Rev.  12,  at  the  beginning.  It  will  be  by  minis- 
ters that  are  her  mouth  :  and  it  will  be  this  way  that 
Christ  will  then  cry  like  a  travailing  woman,  as  in  Isa. 
42  :  14,  "I  have  long  time  holden  my  peace  ;  I  have 
been  still,  and  refrained  myself;  now  will  I  cry  like  a 
travailing  woman."  Christ  cries  by  his  ministers,  and  the 
church  cries  by  her  officers.  And  it  is  worthy  to  be  noted 
that  the  word  commonly  used  in  the  New  Testament, 
that  we  translate  'preachy  properly  signifies  to  proclaim 
aloud  like  a  crier. 

2.   The  comjplaint  of  speaking  terror  to  those  already  alarm- 
ed, instead  of  comforting  them. 

Another  thing  that  some  ministers  have  been  greatly 
blamed  for,  and  I  think  unjustly,  is  speaking  terror  to 
them  that  are  already  under  great  terrors,  instead  of  com- 
forting them.  Indeed  if  ministers  in  such  a  case  go  about 
to  terrify  persons  with  that  which  is  not  true,  or  to  affi'ight 
them  by  representing  their  case  worse  than  it  is,  or  in 
any  respect  otherwise  than  it  is,  they  are  to  be  condemn- 
ed ;  but  if  they  terrify  them  only  by  still  holding  forth 
more  light  to  them,  and  giving  them  to  understand  more 
of  the  truth  of  their  case,  they  are  altogether  to  be  justi- 
fied. When  sinners'  consciences  are  greatly  awakened  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  it  is  by  light  imparted  to  the  conscience, 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  245 

enabling  them  to  see  their  case  to  be,  in  some  measure, 
as  it  is ;  and  if  more  light  be  let  in,  it  will  terrify  them 
still  more  :  but  ministers  are  not  therefore  to  be  blamed 
because  they  endeavor  to  hold  forth  more  light  to  the  con- 
science, and  do  not  rather  alleviate  the  pain  they  are  un- 
der, by  intercepting  and  obstructing  that  light  that  shines 
already. 

To  say  any  thing  to  those  who  have  never  believed  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  represents  their  case  any 
otherwise  than  exceeding  terrible,  is  not  to  preach  the 
word  of  God  to  them ;  for  the  word  of  God  reveals  no- 
thing but  truth,  but  this  is  to  delude  them.  Why  should 
we  be  afraid  to  let  persons  that  are  in  an  infinitely  mise- 
rable condition  know  the  truth,  or  to  bring  them  into  the 
light  for  fear  it  should  terrify  them  ]  It  is  light  that  must 
convert  them,  if  ever  they  are  converted.  The  more  we 
bring  sinners  into  the  light  while  they  are  miserable  and 
the  light  is  terrible  to  them,  the  more  likely  it  is  that  by 
and  by  the  light  will  be  joyful  to  them.  The  ease,  peace 
and  comfort  that  natural  men  enjoy,  have  their  founda- 
tion in  darkness  and  blindness ;  therefore  as  that  dark- 
ness vanishes  and  light  comes  in,  their  peace  vanishes  and 
they  are  terrified :  but  that  is  no  good  argument  why  we 
should  endeavor  to  bring  back  their  darkness  that  we  may 
promote  their  present  comfort. 

The  truth  is,  that  as  long  as  men  reject  Christ  and  do 
not  savingly  believe  in  him,  ho^i^ever  they  may  be  awak- 
ened, and  however  strict  and  conscientious  and  laborious 
they  may  be  in  religion,  they  have  the  wrath  of  God  abid- 
ing on  them,  they  are  his  enemies  and  the  children  of  the 
devil,  (as  the  Scripture  calls  all  that  be  not  savingly  con- 
verted, Matt.  13  :  38 ;  1  John,  3  ;  10 ;)  and  it  is  uncerr 


246  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

tain  whether  they  shall  ever  obtain  mercy.  God  is  under 
no  obligation  to  show  them  mercy,  nor  will  he  be  if  they 
fast  and  pray  and  cry  never  so  much ;  and  they  are  then 
especially  provoking  God  under  those  terrors,  in  that 
they  stand  it  out  against  Christ,  and  will  not  accept  of  an 
offered  Savior,  though  they  see  so  much  need  of  him ; 
and  seeing  this  is  the  truth,  they  should  be  told  so,  that 
they  may  be  sensible  what  their  case  indeed  is. 

To  blame  a  minister  for  thus  declaring  the  truth  to 
those  who  are  under  awakenings,  and  not  immediately 
administering  comfort  to  them,  is  like  blaming  a  surgeon 
because,  when  he  has  begun  to  thrust  in  his  lance,  where- 
by he  has  already  put  his  patient  to  great  pain,  and  he 
shrieks  and  cries  out  with  anguish,  he  is  so  cruel  that  he 
will  not  stay  his  hand,  but  goes  on  to  thrust  it  in  further, 
until  he  comes  to  the  core  of  the  wound.  Such  a  compas- 
sionate physician,  who,  as  soon  as  his  patient  began  to 
flinch,  should  withdraw  his  hand  and  go  about  immediate- 
ly to  apply  a  plaster  to  skin  over  the  wound  and  leave 
the  core  untouched,  would  be  one  that  would  heal  the 
hurt  slightly,  crying  "  peace,  peace,  when  there  is  no 
peace." 

Indeed  something  else  besides  terror  is  to  be  preached 
to  them  whose  consciences  are  awakened.  The  Gospel  is 
to  be  preached  to  them  :  they  are  to  be  told  that  there  is 
a  Savior  provided,  that  is  excellent  and  glorious,  who  has 
shed  his  precious  blood  for  sinners,  and  is  every  way 
sufficient  to  save  them;  that  stands  ready  to  receive  them, 
if  they  will  heartily  embrace  him  ;  for  this  is  also  the  truth, 
as  well  as  that  they  now  are  in  an  infinitely  dreadful  con- 
dition :  this  is  the  word  of  God.  Sinners,  at  the  same  time 
that  they  are  told  how  miserable  their  case  is,  should  be 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  247 

earnestly  invited  to  come  and  accept  of  a  Savior,  and  yield 
their  hearts  to  him,  with  all  the  w^inning,  encouraging  ar- 
guments for  them  so  to  do  that  the  Gospel  affords.  But 
this  is  to  induce  them  to  escape  from  the  misery  of  the 
condition  that  they  are  now  in ;  but  not  to  make  them 
think  their  present  condition  less  miserable  than  it  is,  or 
at  all  to  abate  their  uneasiness  and  distress  while  they  are 
in  it.  That  would  be  the  way  to  quiet  them  and  fasten 
them  in  it,  and  not  to  excite  them  to  fly  from  it. 

Comfort,  in  one  sense,  is  to  be  held  forth  to  sinners  un- 
der awakenings  of  conscience,  that  is,  comfort  is  to  be 
offered  to  them  in  Christ,  on  condition  of  their  flying  front 
their  present  miserable  state  to  him  :  but  comfort  is  not  to 
be  administered  to  them  in  their  present  state,  as  any  thing 
that  they  have  now  any  title  to  while  out  of  Christ.  No 
comfort  is  to  be  administered  to  them  from  any  thing  in 
them,  any  of  their  qualifications,  prayers  or  other  per- 
formances, past,  present,  or  future ;  but  ministers  should, 
in  such  cases,  strive  to  their  utmost  to  take  all  such  com- 
forts from  them,  though  it  greatly  increases  their  terror. 
A  person  that  sees  himself  ready  to  sink  into  hell  is  ready 
to  strive,  some  way  or  other,  to  lay  God  under  some  ob- 
ligation to  him ;  but  he  is  to  be  beat  off  from  every  thing 
of  that  nature,  though  it  greatly  increases  his  terror  to  see 
himself  wholly  destitute,  on  every  side,  of  any  refuge,  or 
any  thing  of  his  own  to  lay  hold  of;  as  a  man  that  sees 
himself  in  danger  of  drowning  is  in  terror  and  endeavors 
to  catch  hold  on  every  twig  within  his  reach,  and  he  that 
pulls  away  those  twigs  from  him  increases  his  terror ;  yet 
if  they  are  insufficient  to  save  him,  and  by  being  in  his 
way  prevent  his  looking  to  that  which  will  save  him,  to 
pull  them  away  is  necessary  to  save  his  life. 


248  THOUGHTS     ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

If  sinners  are  in  distress  from  any  error  that  they  em 
brace,  or  mistake  they  are  under,  that  is  to  be  removed  : 
for  instance,  if  they  are  in  terror  from  an  apprehension 
that  they  have  committed  the  unpardonable  sin,  or  that 
those  things  have  happened  to  them  that  are  certain  signs 
of  reprobation,  or  any  other  delusion,  such  terrors  have 
no  tendency  to  do  them  any  good ;  for  these  terrors  are 
from  temptation  and  not  from  conviction.  But  that  terror 
which  arises  from  conviction,  or  a  sight  of  truth,  is  to  be 
increased ;  for  those  that  are  most  awakened  have  great 
remaining  stupidity,  they  have  a  sense  of  but  little  of  the 
truth  of  God ;  and  it  is  from  remaining  blindness  and 
darkness  that  they  see  no  more  :  and  that  remaining  blind- 
ness is  a  disease  that  we  ought  to  endeavor  to  remove. 

I  am  not  afraid  to  tell  sinners  that  are  most  sensible  of 
their  misery,  that  their  case  is  indeed  as  miserable  as  they 
think  it  to  be,  and  a  thousand  times  more  so ;  for  this  is 
the  truth.  Some  may  be  ready  to  say,  that  though  it  be 
the  truth,  yet  the  truth  is  not  to  be  spoken  at  all  times, 
and  seems  not  to  be  seasonable  then ;  but,  it  seems  to  me, 
such  truth  is  never  more  seasonable  than  at  such  a  time, 
when  Christ  is  beginning  to  open  the  eyes  of  conscience. 
Ministers  ought  to  act  as  co-workers  with  him :  to  take 
that  opportunity,  and  to  the  utmost  to  improve  that  ad- 
vantage, and  strike  while  the  iron  is  hot ;  and  when  the 
light  has  begun  to  shine,  then  to  remove  all  obstacles,  and 
use  all  proper  means  that  it  may  come  in  more  fully,  and 
the  work  be  done  thoroughly  then.  And  experience  abun- 
dantly shows  that  to  take  this  course  is  not  of  a  hurtful 
tendency,  but  very  much  the  contrary.  I  have  seen,  in 
very  many  instanc-es,  the  happy  effects  of  it,  and  often 
times  a  very  speedy  happy  issue,  and  never  knew  any  ill 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  249 

consequence  in  case  of  real  conviction,  and  when  distress 
has  been  only  from  thence. 

I  know  of  but  one  case  wherein  the  truth  ought  to  be 
withheld  from  sinners  in  distress  of  conscience,  and  that 
is  the  case  of  melancJioly  :  and  it  is  not  to  be  withheld 
from  them  then  because  the  truth  tends  to  do  them  hurt, 
but  because  if  we  speak  the  truth  to  them,  sometimes 
they  v/ill  be  deceived  and  led  into  eiTor  by  it  through 
the  strange  disposition  there  is  in  them  to  take  things 
wrong  ;  so  that  that  which  as  it  is  spoken  is  truth,  as  it  is 
heard,  and  received,  and  applied  by  them  is  falsehood  ; 
and  the  truth  will  be  thus  misapplied  by  them,  unless  it  be 
spoken  with  abundance  of  caution  and  prudence,  and 
consideration  of  their  disposition  and  circumstances. 

But  the  most  awful  truths  of  God's  word  ought  not  to 
be  withheld  from  a  public  congregation  because  it  may 
happen  that  some  such  melancholic  persons  may  be  in 
it,  any  more  than  the  Bible  is  to  be  withheld  from  the 
christian  world  because  it  is  manifest  that  there  are  a 
great  many  melancholic  persons  in  Christendom  that  ex- 
ceedingly abuse  the  awful  things  contained  in  the  Scrip- 
ture to  their  own  wounding.  Nor  do  I  think  that  to  be  of 
weight  which  is  made  use  of  by  some  as  a  great  and 
dreadful  objection  against  the  terrifying  preaching  that 
has  of  late  been  in  New  England,  namely,  that  there 
have  been  some  instances  of  melancholic  persons  that 
have  so  abused  it  that  the  issue  has  been  the  murder  of 
themselves.  The  objection  from  hence  is  no  stronger 
against  awakening  preaching,  than  it  is  against  the  Bible 
itself;  hundreds,  and  probably  thousands  of  instances 
might  be  produced  of  persons  that  have  murdered  them- 
selves under  religious  melancholy;  and  these  murders 
11* 


250  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

probably  never  would  have  been  if  it  had  not  been  for 
the  Bible,  or  if  the  world  had  remained  in  a  state  of 
heathenish  darkness.  The  Bible  has  not  only  been  the 
occasion  of  these  sad  effects,  but  of  thousands  and  1 
suppose  millions  of  other  cruel  murders  that  have  been 
committed,  in  the  persecutions  that  have  been  raised,  that 
never  would  have  been  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  Bible  : 
many  whole  countries  have  been,  as  it  were,  deluged  with 
innocent  blood,  which  would  not  have  been  if  the  Gospel 
never  had  been  preached  in  the  world.  It  is  not  a  good 
objection  against  any  kind  of  preaching,  that  some  men 
abuse  it  greatly  to  their  hurt. 

It  has  been  acknowledged  by  all  divines  as  a  thing 
common  in  all  ages  and  all  christian  countries,  that  a  very 
great  part  of  those  that  sit  under  the  Gospel  do  so  abuse 
it  that  it  only  proves  an  occasion  of  their  far  more  aggra- 
vated damnation,  and  so  of  men's  eternally  murdering 
their  souls,  which  is  an  effect  infinitely  more  tenible  than 
the  murder  of  their  bodies.  It  is  as  unjust  to  lay  the 
blame  of  these  self-murders  to  those  ministers  who  have 
declared  the  awful  truths  of  God's  word  in  the  most  lively 
and  affecting  manner  they  were  capable  of,  as  it  would 
be  to  lay  the  blame  of  hardening  men's  hearts  and  blind- 
ing their  eyes,  and  their  more  dreadful  eternal  damna- 
tion, to  the  prophet  Isaiah,  or  Jesus  Christ,  because  this 
was  the  consequence  of  their  preaching  with  respect  to 
many  of  their  hearers.  Isaiah,  6  :  10;  John,  9  :  39  ;  Mat. 
13  :  14.  Though  a  very  few  have  abused  the  late  awak- 
ening preaching  to  so  sad  an  effect  as  to  be  the  cause  of 
their  own  temporal  death,  yet  it  may  be,  to  one  such  in- 
stance there  have  been  hundreds,  yea,  thousands  that  have 
been  saved  by  this  means  from  eternal  death. 


ITS    FRIKNnS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  251 

What  has  more  especially  given  offence  to  many,  and 
raised  a  loud  cry  against  some  preachers,  as  though  their 
conduct  were  intolerable,  is  theiv  frigJitmg  2>oor  innocent 
children  with  talk  of  hell-fire  and  eternal  damnation.  But 
if  those  that  complain  so  loudly  of  this  really  believe, 
what  is  the  general  j^rofession  of  the  country,  that  all  are 
by  nature  the  children  of  wrath  and  heirs  of  hell ;  and 
that  every  one  that  has  not  been  born  again,  whether  he 
be  young  or  old,  is  exposed  every  moment  to  eternal  de- 
struction under  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God;  I  say,  if 
they  really  believe  this,  then  such  a  complaint  and  cry  as 
this  bewrays  a  great  deal  of  weakness  and  inconsidera- 
tion.  As  innocent  as  children  seem  to  us  to  be,  yet  if  they 
are  out  of  Christ  they  are  not  so  in  God's  sight,  but  are 
in  a  most  miserable  condition  as  well  as  grown  persons ; 
they  are  naturally  very  senseless  and  stupid,  being  horn 
as  the  wild  ass^  colt,  and  need  much  to  awaken  them.  Why 
should  we  conceal  the  truth  from  them  1 

Will  those  children,  that  have  been  dealt  so  tenderly 
with  as  to  hide  from  them  their  sin,  and  that  have  lived 
and  died  insensible  of  their  misery  until  they  come  to 
feel  it  in  hell,  ever  thank  parents  and  others  for  their  ten- 
derness in  not  letting  them  know  what  they  were  in  dan- 
ger of?  If  parents'  love  towards  their  children  was  not 
blind,  it  would  affect  them  much  more  to  see  their  chil- 
dren every  day  exposed  to  eternal  burnings,  and  yet 
senseless,  than  to  see  them  suffer  the  distress  of  that 
awakening  that  is  necessary  in  order  to  their  escape 
from  them,  and  that  tends  to  their  being  eternally  happy 
as  the  children  of  God.  A  child  that  has  a  dangerous 
wound  may  need  the  painful  lance  as  well  as  grown  per- 
sons ;  and  that  would  be  a  foolish  pity,  in  such  a  case, 


252  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

that  should  hold  back  the  lance  and  throw  away  the  life. 
I  have  seen  the  happy  effects  of  dealing  plainly  and  tho- 
roughly with  children  in  the  concerns  of  their  souls,  with- 
out sparing  them  at  all  in  many  instances,  and  never  knew 
any  ill  consequences  of  it  in  any  one  instance. 

3.  The  complaint  of  having  too  frequent  meeth^  gs,  and  spend- 
ing too  much  time  in  religion. 

Another  thing  that  a  great  deal  has  been  said  against, 
is  having  so  frequent  religious  meetings,  and  spending  so 
much  time  in  religion.  And  indeed  there  are  none  of  the 
externals  of  religion  but  what  are  capable  of  excess  ; 
and  I  believe  it  is  true  that  there  has  not  been  a  due  pro- 
portion observed  in  religion  of  late.  We  have  placed  re- 
ligion too  much  in  external  duties  of  the  first  table  ;  we 
have  abounded  in  religious  meetings,  and  in  prayer,  read- 
ing, hearing,  singing,  and  religious  conference  ;  and  there 
has  not  been  a  proportionable  increase  of  zeal  for  deeds 
of  charity  and  other  duties  of  the  second  table,  though  it 
must  be  acknowledged  that  they  are  also  much  increased. 
But  yet  it  appears  to  me  that  this  objection  of  persons 
spending  too  much  time  in  religion,  has  been  in  the  gene- 
ral groundless. 

Though  worldly  business  must  be  done,  and  persons 
ought  not  to  neglect  the  business  of  their  particular  call- 
ings, yet  it  is  to  the  honor  of  God  that  a  people  should 
be  so  much  in  outward  acts  of  religion,  as  to  carry  in  it 
a  visible  public  appearance  of  a  great  engagedness  of 
mind  in  it  as  the  main  business  of  life ;  and  especially 
is  it  fit  that,  at  such  an  extraordinary  time,  when  God 
appears  unusually  present  with  a  people  in  wonderful 
works  of  power  and  mercy,  they  should  spend  more  time 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  253 

than  usual  in  religious  exercises,  to  put  honor  upon  that 
God  that  is  then  extraordinarily  present,  and  to  seek  his 
face,  as  it  was  with  the  christian  church  in  Jerusalem  on 
occasion  of  that  extraordinary  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit 
soon  after  Christ's  ascension.  Acts,  2  :  46,  "  And  they 
continued  daily  with  one  accord  in  the  temple,  and  break- 
ing bread  from  house  to  house."  And  so  it  was  at  Ephe- 
sus,  at  a  time  of  the  great  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  there ;  the 
christians  there  attended  public  religious  exercises  every 
day  for  two  years  together.  Acts,  19  :  8,  9,  10,  ''And  he 
went  into  the  synagogue,  and  spake  boldly  for  the  space 
of  three  months,  disputing  and  persuading  the  things 
concerning  the  kingdom  of  God :  but  when  divers  were 
hardened,  and  believed  not,  but  spake  evil  of  that  way 
before  the  multitude,  he  departed  from  them,  and  sepa- 
rated the  disciples,  disputing  daily  in  the  school  of  one 
Tyrannus ;  and  this  continued  by  the  space  of  two  years ; 
so  that  all  they  which  dwelt  in  Asia  heard  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  both  Jews  and  Greeks." 

As  to  the  grand  objection  of  six  days  slialt  thou  labor, 
all  that  can  be  understood  by  it,  and  all  that  the  very  ob- 
jectors themselves  understand  by  it,  is  that  we  may  follow 
our  secular  labors  in  those  six  days  that  are  not  the  Sab- 
bath, and  ought  to  be  diligent  in  them  ;  not  but  that  some- 
times we  may  turn  from  them,  even  within  those  six  days, 
to  keep  a  day  of  fasting,  or  thanksgiving,  or  to  attend  a 
lecture  ;  and  that  more  frequently  or  rarely,  as  God's  pro- 
vidence and  the  state  of  things  sliall  call  us,  according  to 
our  best  judgment  or  discretion. 

Though  secular  business,  as  I  said  before,  ought  not  to 
be  neglected,  yet  I  cannot  see  how  it  can  be  maintained 
that  religion  ought  not  to  be  attended  so  as  in  the  least  to 


254  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

injure  our  temporal  affairs,  on  any  other  principles  than 
those  of  infidelity.  None  object  against  injuring  one  tem- 
poral affair  for  the  sake  of  another  temporal  affair  of  much 
greater  importance  ;  and  therefore  if  eternal  things  are  as 
real  as  temporal  things,  and  are  indeed  of  infinitely  greater 
importance,  then  why  may  w^e  not  voluntarily  suffer  in 
some  measure  in  our  temporal  concerns  while  we  are 
seeking  eternal  riches  and  immortal  glory  ? 

It  is  looked  upon  as  not  improper  for  a  whole  nation 
to  spend  considerable  time  and  much  of  their  outward 
substance  on  some  extraordinary  temporal  occasions,  for 
the  sake  only  of  the  ceremonies  of  a  public  rejoicing ; 
and  it  would  be  thought  dishonorable  to  be  very  exact 
about  what  we  spend,  or  careful  lest  we  injure  our  es- 
tates on  such  an  occasion ;  and  why  should  we  be  exact 
only  with  Almighty  God,  so  that  it  should  be  a  crime  to 
be  otherwise  than  scrupulously  careful  lest  we  injure  our- 
selves in  our  temporal  interests,  to  put  honor  upon  him 
and  seek  our  own  eternal  happiness  ]  We  should  take 
heed  that  none  of  us  be  in  any  wise  like  Judas,  who 
greatly  complained  of  needless  expense  and  waste  of  out- 
ward substance  to  put  honor  upon  Christ,  when  Mary 
broke  her  box  and  poured  the  precious  ointment  on  his 
head  ;  he  had  indignation  within  himself  on  that  account, 
and  cried  out,  **  Why  was  this  waste  of  the  ointment 
made  ?  for  it  might  have  been  sold  for  more  than  three 
hundred  pence,  and  have  been  given  to  the  poor."  Mark, 
14:  3;  John,  12  :  4. 

And  besides,  if  the  matter  be  justly  considered  and  ex- 
amined, I  believe  it  will  be  found  that  the  country  has 
lost  no  time  from  their  temporal  affairs  by  the  late  revi- 
val of  religion,  but  have  rather  gained  time ;  and  that 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  255 

more  time  has  been  saved  from  frolicking  and  tavern- 
haunting,  idleness,  unprofitable  visits,  vain  talk,  fruitless 
pastimes,  and  needless  diversions,  than  has  lately  been 
spent  in  extraordinary  religion,  and  probably  five  times 
as  much  has  been  saved  in  avoiding  expense  at  the  ta- 
vern, and  in  apparel,  as  has  been  spent  by  religious 
meetings. 

The  great  complaint  that  is  made  against  so  much  time 
spent  in  religion,  cannot  be  in  general  from  a  real  concern 
that  God  may  be  honored,  and  his  will  done,  and  the  best 
good  of  men  promoted,  as  is  very  manifest  from  this,  that 
now  there  is  a  much  more  earnest  and  zealous  outcry 
made  in  the  country  against  this  extraordinary  religion, 
than  was  before  against  so  much  time  spent  in  tavern- 
haunting,  vain  company-keeping,  night  walking,  and  other 
things  which  wasted  both  our  time  and  substance,  and 
injured  our  moral  virtue. 

The  frequent  preaching  of  late  has,  in  a  particular 
manner,  been  objected  against  as  unprofitable  and  pre- 
judicial. It  is  objected  that  when  sermons  are  heard  so 
very  often,  one  sermon  tends  to  thrust  out  another,  so 
that  persons  lose  the  benefit  of  all :  they  say,  two  or  three 
sermons  in  a  week  is  as  much  as  they  can  remember  and 
digest.  Such  objections  against  frequent  preaching,  if  they 
are  not  from  an  enmity  against  religion,  are  for  want  of 
duly  considering  the  way  that  sermons  usually  profit  an 
auditory.  The  main  benefit  that  is  obtained  by  preaching 
is  by  impression  made  upon  the  mind  in  the  time  of  it, 
and  not  by  any  effect  that  arises  afterwards  by  a  remem- 
brance of  what  was  delivered.  And  though  an  after  re- 
membrance of  what  was  heard  in  a  sermon  is  oftentimes 
very  profitable,  yet,  for  the  most  part,  that  remembrance 


256  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

is  from  an  impression  the  words  made  on  the  heart  in  the 
time  of  it ;  and  the  memory  profits  as  it  renews  and  in- 
creases that  impression,  and  a  frequent  inculcating  of  the 
more  imj^ortant  things  of  rehgion  in  preaching  has  no 
tendency  to  rase  out  such  impressions,  but  to  increase 
them  and  fix  them  deeper  and  deeper  in  the  mind,  as  is 
found  by  experience. 

It  never  used  to  be  objected  against,  that  persons  upon 
the  Sabbath,  after  they  have  heard  two  sermons  that  day, 
should  go  home  and  spend  the  remaining  part  of  the  Sab- 
bath in  reading  the  Scriptures  and  printed  sermons,  which, 
in  proportion  as  it  has  a  tendency  to  affect  the  mind  at 
all,  has  as  much  of  a  tendency  to  drive  out  what  they 
have  heard,  as  if  they  heard  another  sermon  preached. 
It  seems  to  have  been  the  practice  of  the  apostles  to 
preach  every  day  in  places  where  they  went,  yea,  though 
sometimes  they  continued  long  in  one  place.  Acts,  2  :  42 
and  46  ;  19  :  8,  9,  10.  They  did  not  avoid  preaching  one 
day  for  fear  they  should  thrust  out  of  the  minds  of  their 
hearers  what  they  had  delivered  the  day  before  ;  nor  did 
christians  avoid  going  every  day  to  hear  for  fear  of  any 
such  bad  effect,  as  is  evident  by  Acts,  2  :  42,  46. 

There  are  some  things  in  Scripture  that  seem  to  signify 
as  much  as  that  there  should  be  preaching  in  an  extraor- 
dinary frequency  at  the  time  when  God  should  be  about 
to  introduce  the  flourishing  state  of  religion  that  should 
be  in  the  latter  days,  as  in  Isaiah,  62,  "  For  Zion's  sake 
will  I  not  hold  my  peace,  for  Jerusalem's  sake  I  will  not 
rest,  until  the  righteousness  thereof  go  forth  as  bright- 
ness, and  the  salvation  thereof  as  a  lamp  that  burnetii  : 
and  the  Gentiles  shall  see  thy  righteousness,  and  all  kings 
thy  glory."  And  ver.  5,  6,  *'  For  as  a  young  man  marrieth 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  257 

a  virgin,  so  shall  thy  sons  marry  thee  ;  and  as  the  bride- 
groom rejoiceth  over  the  bride,  so  shall  thy  God  rejoice 
over  thee.  I  have  set  w^atchmen  upon  thy  walls,  O  Jeru- 
salem, which  shall  never  hold  their  peace  day  nor  night." 

The  destruction  of  the  city  of  Jericho  is  evidently,  in 
all  its  circumstances,  intended  by  God  as  a  great  type  of 
the  overthrow  of  Satan's  kingdom ;  the  priests  blowing 
with  trumpets  at  that  time,  represents  ministers  preach- 
ing the  Gospel ;  the  people  compassing  the  city  seven 
days,  the  priests  blowing  the  trumjDets  ;  but  when  the  day 
was  come  that  the  walls  of  the  city  were  to  fall,  the  priests 
were  more  frequent  and  abundant  in  blowing  their  trum- 
pets ;  there  was  as  much  done  in  one  day  then,  as  had 
been  done  in  seven  days  before.  They  compassed  the 
city  seven  times  that  day,  blowing  their  trumpets,  until  at 
length  it  came  to  one  long  and  perpetual  blast,  and  then 
the  walls  of  the  city  fell  down  flat. 

The  extraordinary  preaching  that  shall  be  at  the  begin- 
ning of  that  glorious  jubilee  of  the  church,  is  represented 
by  the  extraordinary  sounding  of  trumpets  throughout 
the  land  of  Canaan  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  of  jubi- 
lee, and  by  the  reading  of  the  law  before  all  Israel,  in  the 
year  of  release,  at  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  And  the  crow- 
ing of  the  cock  at  break  of  day,  which  brought  Peter  to 
repentance,  seems  to  me  to  be  intended  to  signify  the 
awakening  of  God's  church  out  of  their  lethargy  wherein 
they  had  denied  their  Lord,  by  thp  extraordinary  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel  that  shall  be  at  the  dawning  of  the 
day  of  the  church's  light  and  glory.  And  there  seems  at 
this  day  to  be  an  uncommon  hand  of  divine  Providence 
in  animating,  enabling,  and  upholding  some  ministers  in 
such  abundant  labors. 


258  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

4.    The  complaint  that  too  much  is  made  of  outcries  and 
effects  on  the  body. 

Another  thing  wherein  I  think  some  ministers  have 
been  injured,  is  in  being  very  much  blamed  for  making 
so  mzccJi  of  outcries,  faintings,  and  other  bodily  effects ; 
speaking  of  them  as  tokens  of  the  presence  of  God  and 
arguments  of  the  success  of  preaching,  seeming  to  strive 
to  their  utmost  to  bring  a  congregation  to  that  state,  and 
seeming  to  rejoice  in  it,  yea,  even  blessing  God  for  it 
when  they  see  these  effects. 

Concerning  this  I  would  observe,  in  xhejlrst  place,  that 
there  are  many  things  with  respect  to  cryings  out,  falling 
down,  &c.  that  are  charged  on  ministers,  which  they  ai'e 
not  guilty  of.  Some  would  have  it  that  they  speak  of  these 
things  as  certain  evidences  of  a  work  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  on  the  hearts  of  their  hearers,  or  that  they  esteem 
these  bodily  effects  themselves  to  be  the  work  of  God, 
as  though  the  Spirit  of  God  took  hold  of  and  agitated  the 
bodies  of  men ;  and  some  are  charged  with  making  these 
things  essential,  and  supposing  that  persons  cannot  be 
converted  without  them ;  whereas  I  never  yet  could  see 
the  person  that  held  either  of  these  things. 

But  for  speaking  of  such  effects  as  probable  tokens  of 
God's  presence,  and  arguments  of  the  success  of  preach- 
ino-,  it  seems  to  me  that  they  are  not  to  be  blamed,  be- 
cause I  think  they  are  so  indeed  ;  and  therefore  when  1 
see  them  excited  by  preaching  the  important  truths  of 
God's  word,  urged  and  enforced  by  proper  arguments 
and  motives,  or  as  consequent  on  other  means  that  are 
good,  I  do  not  scruple  to  speak  of  them,  and  to  rejoice 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  259 

in  them,  and  bless  God  for  tliem  as  such  ;  and  that  for 
this  (as  I  think)  good  reason,  namely,  that  from  time  to 
time,  upon  proper  inquiry,  and  examination,  and  ob- 
servation of  the  consequences  and  fruits,  I  have  found 
that  these  are  all  evidences  that  persons  in  whom  these 
effects  appear  are  under  the  influences  of  God's  Spirit  in 
such  cases.  Cryings  out,  in  such  a  manner  and  with  such 
circumstances  as  I  have  seen  them  from  time  to  time,  is 
as  much  an  evidence  to  me  of  the  general  cause  it  pro- 
ceeds from  as  language  :  I  have  learned  the  meaning  of 
it,  the  same  way  that  persons  learn  the  meaning  of  lan- 
guage, by  use  and  experience. 

I  confess  that  when  I  see  a  great  crying  out  in  a  con- 
gregation, in  the  manner  that  I  have  seen  it,  when  those 
things  are  held  forth  to  them  that  are  worthy  of  their  be- 
ing greatly  affected  by,  I  rejoice  in  it  much  more  than 
merely  in  an  appearance  of  solemn  attention  and  a  show 
of  affection  by  weeping;  and  that  because  when  there 
have  been  those  outcries,  I  have  found  from  time  to  time 
a  much  greater  and  more  excellent  effect.  To  rejoice 
that  the  work  of  God  is  carried  on  calmly  without  much 
ado,  is  in  effect  to  rejoice  that  it  is  carried  on  with  less 
power,  or  that  there  is  not  so  much  of  the  influence  of 
God's  Spirit ;  for  though  the  degree  of  the  influence  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  on  particular  j^ersons  is  by  no  means  to 
be  judged  of  by  the  degree  of  external  appearances,  be- 
cause of  the  different  constitution^,  tempers,  and  circum- 
stances of  men ;  yet  if  there  be  a  very  powerful  influ- 
ence of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  a  mixed  multitude,  it  will 
cause,  some  way  or  other,  a  great  visible  commotion. 

And  as  to  ministers  aiming  at  such  effects,  and  striving 
by  all  means  to  bring  a  congregation  to  such  a  state  that 


260  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

there  should  be  such  an  uproar  among  them,  I  suppose 
none  aim  at  it  any  otherw^ise  than  as  they  strive  to  raise  the 
affections  of  their  hearers  to  such  a  height  as  very  often 
appears  in  these  effects :  and  if  it  be  so  that  those  affec- 
tions are  commonly  good,  and  it  be  found  by  experience 
that  such  a  degree  of  them  commonly  has  a  good  effect, 
I  think  they  are  to  be  justified  in  so  doing. 

Again  :  some  ministers  have  been  blamed  for  keeping 
persons  together  that  have  been  under  great  affections, 
which  have  appeared  in  such  extraordinary  outward  ma- 
nifestations. Many  think  this  promotes  confusion ;  that 
persons  in  such  circumstances  do  but  discompose  each 
other's  minds,  and  disturb  the  minds  of  others  ;  and  that 
therefore  it  is  best  they  should  be  dispersed ;  and  that 
when  any  in  a  congregation  are  strongly  seized,  so  that 
they  cannot  forbear  outward  manifestations  of  it,  they 
should  be  removed  that  others'  minds  may  not  be  diverted. 

But  I  cannot  but  think  that  those  that  thus  object  act 
upon  quite  wrong  notions  of  things  \  for  though  persons 
ought  to  take  heed  that  they  do  not  make  an  ado  without 
necessity,  for  this  will  be  the  way  in  time  to  have  such 
appearances  lose  all  their  effect,  yet  the  unavoidable  ma- 
nifestations of  strong  religious  affections  tend  to  a  happy 
influence  on  the  minds  of  by-standers,  and  are  found  by 
experience  to  have  an  excellent  and  durable  effect ;  and 
so  to  contrive  and  order  things  that  others  may  have  op- 
portunity and  advantage  to  observe  them,  has  been  found 
to  be  blessed  as  a  great  means  to  promote  the  work  of 
God  ;  and  to  prevent  their  being  in  the  way  of  observa- 
tion, is  to  prevent  the  effect  of  that  which  God  makes 
use  of  as  a  principal  means  of  carrying  on  his  work  at 
such  an  extraordinary  time,  namely,  example,  which  ia 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  261 

often  spoken  of  in  Scripture  as  one  of  the  chief  means 
by  which  God  would  carry  on  his  work  in  the  time  of  the 
prosperity  of  religion  in  the  latter  days. 

I  have  mentioned  some  texts  already  to  this  purpose, 
in  what  I  published  before  of  the  marks  of  a  work  of 
the  true  Spirit ;  but  would  here  mention  some  others.  In 
Zech.  9  :  15,  16,  those  that  in  the  latter  days  should  be 
filled  in  an  extraordinary  manner  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
so  as  to  appear  in  outward  manifestations  and  making  a 
noise,  are  spoken  of  as  those  that  God,  in  these  uncom- 
mon circumstances,  will  set  up  to  the  view  of  others  as  a 
prize  or  ensign,  by  their  example  and  the  excellency  of 
their  attainments  to  animate  and  draw  others  as  men  ga- 
ther about  an  ensign  and  run  for  a  prize,  a  crown  and 
precious  jewels  set  up  in  their  view.  The  words  are : 
**  And  they  shall  drink,  and  make  a  noise,  as  through 
wine ;  and  they  shall  be  filled  like  bowls,  and  as  the  cor- 
ners of  the  altar  :  and  the  Lord  their  God  shall  save  them 
in  that  day,  as  the  flock  of  his  people ;  for  they  shall  be  as 
the  stones  of  a  crown  lifted  up  as  an  ensign  upon  his 
land."  (But  I  shall  have  occasion  to  say  something  more 
of  this  Scripture  afterwards.)  Those  that  make  the  ob- 
jection I  am  upon,  instead  of  suffering  this  prize  or  en- 
sign to  be  in  public  view,  are  for  having  it  removed  and 
hid  in  some  corner. 

To  the  like  purpose  is  Isaiah,  62  :  3,  "  Thou  shalt  be 
a  crown  of  glory  in  the  hand  of  J;he  Lord,  and  a  royal 
diadem  in  the  hand  of  thy  God."  Here  it  is  observable 
that  it  is  not  said,  thou  shalt  be  a  crown  upon  the  heady 
but  in  the  hand  of  the  Lord ;  that  is,  held  forth  in  thy 
beauty  and  excellency  as  a  prize  to  be  bestowed  upon 
others  that  shall  behold  thee,  and  be  animated  by  the 


262  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

brightness  and  lustre  with  which  God  shall  endow  thee. 
The  great  influence  of  the  example  of  God's  people  in 
their  bright  and  excellent  attainments  to  propagate  reli- 
gion in  those  days,  is  further  signified  in  Isaiah,  60  :  3. 
"  And  the  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to 
the  brightness  of  thy  rising."  With  verse  22,  "  A  little 
one  shall  become  a  thousand,  and  a  small  one  a  strong 
nation."  And  Zech.  10  :  8,  9,  "  They  shall  increase  as 
they  have  increased ;  and  I  will  sow  them  among  the 
people."  And  Hosea,  2  :  23,  *'  I  will  sow  her  unto  me  in 
the  earth."  So  Jeremiah,  31  :  27. 

5.    The  complaint  of  merCs  earnestness  in  warning  and 
entreating  one  another. 

Another  thing  that  gives  great  disgust  to  many,  is  the 
disposition  that  persons  show,  under  great  affections,  to 
speak  so  much,  and  with  such  earnestness  and  vehemence 
to  be  setting  forth  the  greatness  and  wonderfulness  and 
importance  of  divine  and  eternal  things ;  and  to  be  so 
passionately  warning,  inviting  and  entreating  others. 

Concerning  which  I  would  say,  that  I  am  far  from 
thinking  that  such  a  disposition  should  be  wholly  without 
any  limits  or  regulation  (as  I  shall  more  particularly  show 
afterwards;)  and  I  believe  some  have  erred  in  setting  no 
bounds  and  indulging  and  encouraging  this  disposition 
without  any  kind  of  restraint  or  direction ;  but  yet,  it 
seems  to  me,  that  such  a  disposition  in  general  is  what 
both  reason  and  Scripture  will  justify.  Those  that  are 
offended  at  such  things  as  though  they  were  unreasonable,' 
are  not  just :  upon  examination  it  will  probably  be  found 
that  they  have  one  rule  of  reasoning  about  temporal 
things,  and  another  about  spiritual  things. 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  263 

They  would  not  at  all  wonder  if  a  person,  on  some  very- 
great  and  affecting  occasion  of  extraordinary  danger  or 
great  joy  that  eminently  and  immediately  concerns  him 
and  others,  is  disposed  to  speak  much  and  with  great 
earnestness,  especially  to  those  to  whom  he  is  united  in 
the  bonds  of  dear  affection  and  great  concern  for  their 
good.  And  therefore  if  they  were  just,  why  would  not 
they  allow  it  in  spiritual  things  ]  And  much  more  in  them, 
according  to  the  vastly  greater  importance  and  more  af- 
fecting nature  of  spiritual  things,  and  the  concern  which 
true  religion  causes  in  men's  minds  for  the  good  of  others, 
and  the  disposition  it  gives  and  excites  to  speak  God's 
praises,  to  show  forth  his  infinite  glory,  and  talk  of  all  his 
glorious  perfections  and  works  % 

That  a  very  great  sense  of  the  right  kind,  of  the  im- 
portance of  the  things  of  religion  and  the  danger  sinners 
are  in,  should  sometimes  cause  an  almost  insuperable  dis- 
position to  speak  and  warn  others,  is  agreeable  to  Jer. 
6  :  10,  11,  *'  To  whom  shall  I  speak  and  give  warning, 
that  they  may  hear  %  Behold,  their  ear  is  uncircumcised, 
and  they  cannot  hearken  :  behold,  the  word  of  the  Lord 
is  unto  them  a  reproach ;  they  have  no  delight  in  it. 
Therefore  I  am  full  of  the  fury  of  the  Lord;  I  am  weary 
with  holding  in ;  I  will  pour  it  out  upon  the  children 
abroad,  and  upon  the  assembly  of  the  young  men  toge- 
ther ;  for  even  the  husband  with  the  wife  shall  be  taken, 
the  aged  with  him  that  is  full  of  days."  And  that  true 
christians,  when  they  come  to  be  as  it  were  waked  out 
of  sleep,  and  to  be  filled  with  a  sweet  and  joyful  sense 
of  the  excellent  things  of  religion  by  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel,  or  by  other  means  of  grace,  should  be  dis- 
posed to  be  much  in  speaking  of  divine  things,  though 


264  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

before  they  were  dumb,  is  agreeable  to  w^hat  Christ  says 
to  his  church,  Cant.  7  :  9,  "And  the  roof  of  thy  mouth 
is  like  the  best  wine  for  my  beloved,  that  goeth  down 
sweetly,  causing  the  lips  of  those  that  are  asleep  to 
speak."  The  roof  of  the  church's  mouth  is  the  officers 
in  the  church  that  preach  the  Gospel ;  their  word  is  to 
Christ's  beloved  like  the  best  wine  that  goes  down 
sweetly — extraordinarily  refreshing  and  enlivening  the 
saints,  causing  them  to  speak,  though  before  they  were 
mute  and  asleep. 

It  is  said  by  some  that  the  people  that  are  the  subjects 
of  this  work,  when  they  get  together,  talking  loud  and 
earnestly  in  their  pretended  great  joys,  several  in  a 
room  talking  at  the  same  time,  make  a  noise  just  like  a 
company  of  drunken  persons.  On  which  I  would  ob- 
serve, that  it  is  foretold  that  God's  people  should  do  so, 
in  that  forementioned  place,  Zech.  9  :  15,  16,  17,  of 
which  I  shall  now  take  more  particular  notice.  The 
words  are  as  follows  :  "  The  Lord  of  hosts  shall  defend 
them ;  and  they  shall  devour  and  subdue  with  sling- 
stones  ;  and  they  shall  drink,  and  make  a  noise,  as 
through  wine,  and  they  shall  be  filled  like  bowls,  and  as 
the  coraers  of  the  altar  :  and  the  Lord  their  God  shall 
save  them  in  that  day,  as  the  flock  of  his  people  ;  for 
they  shall  be  as  the  stones  of  a  crown  lifted  up  as  an 
ensign  upon  his  land  :  for  how  great  is  his  goodness ! 
and  how  great  is  his  beauty !  Corn  shall  make  the 
young  men  cheerful,  and  new  wine  the  maids."  The 
words  are  very  remarkable  :  here  it  is  foretold  that  at 
the  time  when  Christ  shall  set  up  a  universal  kingdom 
upon  earth  (verse  20),  the  children  of  Zion  shall  drink 
until  they  are  filled  like  the  vessels  of  the  sanctuary  ; 


ITS   FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  265 

and  if  we  would  know  what  they  shall  be  filled  with, 
the  prophecy  does  in  effect  explain  itself:  they  shall  be 
filled,  as  the  vessels  of  the  sanctuary  that  contained  the 
drink  offering,  which  was  wine  ;  and  yet  the  words  im- 
ply that  it  shall  not  literally  be  wine  that  they  shall 
drink  and  be  filled  with,  because  it  is  said  they  shall 
drink  and  make  a  noise  as  through  tvine,  as  if  they  had 
drank  wine  :  which  implies  that  they  had  not  literally 
done  it ;  and  therefore  w^e  must  understand  the  words, 
that  they  shall  drink  into  that,  and  be  filled  with  that, 
which  the  wine  of  the  drink  offering  represented,  or  was 
a  type  of,  which  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  well  as  the  blood 
of  Christ,  that  new  wine  that  is  drunk  in  our  heavenly 
Father's  kingdom  :  they  shall  be  filled  with  the  Spirit, 
which  the  apostle  sets  in  opposition  to  a  being  drunk 
with  wine,  Ephesians,  5  :  18.  This  is  the  new  wine 
spoken  of,  verse  17.  It  is  the  same  with  that  best  wine 
spoken  of  in  Canticles,  that  goes  down  sweetly,  causing 
the  lips  of  those  that  are  asleep  to  speak. 

It  is  here  foretold  that  the  children  of  Zion,  in  the 
latter  days,  should  be  filled  with  that  which  should  make 
them  cheerful,  and  cause  them  to  make  a  noise  as  through 
wine,  and  by  which  these  joyful  happy  persons  that  are 
thus  filled  shall  be  as  the  stones  of  a  crown  lifted  up  as 
an  ensign  upon  God's  land,  being  made  joyful  in  the 
extraordinary  manifestations  of  the  beauty  and  love  of 
Christ :  as  it  follows,  Hoiv  great^  is  his  goodness  !  and 
how  great  is  his  beauty  !  And  it  is  further  remarkable 
that  it  is  here  foretold  that  it  should  be  thus  especially 
amongst  young  people  :  Corn  shall  make  the  young  men 
cheerful,  and  neio  wine  the  maids.  It  would  be  ridiculous 
to  understand  this  of  literal  bread  and  wine  :  without 

Kevival  of  llcl  1^ 


266  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

doubt,  the  same  spiritual  blessings  are  signified  by  bread 
and  wine  here,  which  were  represented  by  Melchize- 
deck's  bread  and  wine,  and  are  signified  by  the  bread 
and  wine  in  the  Lord's  supper.  One  of  the  marginal 
readings  is,  shall  make  the  young  men  to  speak,  which  is 
agreeable  to  that  in  Canticles,  of  the  hest  wine^s  causing 
the  lijps  of  those  that  are  asleep  to  speak. 

We  ought  not  to  be  in  any  measure  like  the  unbe- 
lieving Jews  in  Christ's  time,  v/ho  were  disgusted  both 
with  crying  out  with  distress  and  with  joy.  When  the 
poor  blind  man  cried  out  before  all  the  multitude,  Jesus, 
thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me,  and  continued 
instantly  thus  doing,  the  multitude  rebuked  him,  and 
charged  him  that  he  should  hold  his  tongue,  Mark,  10  : 
46,  47,  48,  and  Luke,  18  :  38,  39.  They  looked  upon  it 
to  be  a  very  indecent  noise  that  he  made ;  a  thing  very 
ill  becoming  hiiji,  to  cause  his  voice  to  be  heard  so  much 
and  so  loud  among  the  multitude.  And  when  Christ 
made  his  solemn  and  triumphant  entry  into  Jerusalem 
(which,  I  have  before  observed,  was  a  type  of  the  glory 
and  triumph  of  the  latter  days,)  the  whole  multitude  of 
the  disciples,  of  all  classes,  especially  young  people, 
began  to  rejoice  and  praise  God  with  a  loud  voice  for 
all  the  mighty  works  that  they  had  seen,  saying.  Blessed 
he  the  King  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  !  Peace 
in  heaven,  and  glory  iri  the  highest  !  The  Pharisees  said 
to  Christ,  Master,  rebuke  thy  disciples.  They  did  not 
understand  such  great  transports  of  joy  ;  it  seemed  to 
them  a  very  unsuitable  and  indecent  noise  and  clamor 
that  they  made,  a  confused  uproar,  many  crying  out  to- 
gether, as  though  they  were  out  of  their  wits ;  they 
wondered  that  Christ  would  tolerate  it.    But  what  says 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  267 

Christ  ?  /  tell  you,  that  if  these  should  hold  their  peace, 
the  stones  would  immediately  cry  out.  The  words  seem  to 
intimate  as  much  as  that  there  was  cause  enough  to  con- 
strain those,  whose  hearts  were  not  harder  than  the  very- 
stones,  to  cry  out  and  make  a  noise  ;  which  is  something 
like  that  other  expression,  of  causing  the  lips  of  those  that 
are  asleep  to  speak. 

When  many  under  great  religious  affections  are  earn- 
estly speaking  together  of  divine  wonders,  in  various 
parts  of  a  company,  to  those  that  are  next  to  them; 
some  attending  to  what  one  says  and  others  to  another, 
there  is  something  very  beautiful  in  it,  provided  they  do 
not  speak  so  as  to  drown  each  other's  voices,  that  none 
can  hear  what  any  say  :  there  is  a  great  and  affecting 
appearance  of  a  joint  engagedness  of  heart  in  the  love 
and  praises  of  God  ;  and  I  had  rather  see  it,  than  to  see 
one  speaking  alone,  and  all  attending  to  what  he  says  ; 
it  has  more  of  the  appearance  of  conversation.  When 
a  multitude  meet  on  any  occasion  of  temporal  rejoicing, 
freely  and  cheerfully  to  converse  together,  they  are  not 
wont  to  observe  the  ceremony  of  but  one  speaking  at  a 
time,  while  all  the  rest,  in  a  formal  manner,  set  them- 
selves to  attend  to  what  he  says  ;  that  would  spoil  all 
conversation,  and  turn  it  into  the  formality  of  set 
speeches  and  the  solemnity  of  preaching. 

It  is  better  for  lay  persons,  when  they  speak  one  to 
another  of  the  things  of  God  as>  they  meet  together, 
to  speak  after  the  manner  of  christian  conversation, 
than  to  observe  the  formality  of  but  one  speaking  at  a 
time,  the  whole  multitude  silently  and  solemnly  attend- 
ing to  what  he  says ;  which  would  carry  in  it  too  much 
of  the  air  of  the  authority  and  solemnity  of  preaching. 


268  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

What  the  apostle  says,  1  Cor.  14  :  29,  30,  31,  "  Let  the 
prophets  speak,  two  or  three,  and  let  the  other  judge  : 
if  any  thing  be  revealed  to  another  that  sitteth  by,  let 
the  first  hold  his  peace  :  for  ye  may  all  prophesy,  one 
by  one,  that  all  may  learn,  and  all  may  be  comforted," 
does  not  reach  this  case ;  because  what  the  apostle  is 
speaking  of  is  the  solemnity  of  their  religious  exercises 
in  public  worship,  the  persons  speaking  in  the  church 
by  immediate  inspiration,  and  in  the  use  of  the  gift  of 
prophesy  or  some  gift  of  inspiration,  in  the  exercise  of 
which  they  acted  as  extraordinary  ministers  of  Christ. 

6.   The  com'plaint  of  too   much  singing,  and  of  religious 
meetings  of  children. 

Another  thing  that  some  have  found  fault  with,  is 
abounding  so  much  in  singing,  in  religious  meetings. 
Objecting  against  such  a  thing  as  this  seems  to  arise 
from  a  suspicion  already  established  of  this  w^ork  :  they 
doubt  of  the  pretended  extraordinary  love  and  joys  that 
attend  this  work,  and  so  find  fault  with  the  manifesta- 
tions of  them.  If  they  thought  persons  were  truly  the 
subjects  of  an  extraordinary  degree  of  divine  love  and 
heavenly  rejoicing  in  God,  I  suppose  they  would  not 
wonder  at  their  having  a  disposition  to  be  much  in 
praise.  They  will  not  object  against  the  saints  and 
angels  in  heaven  singing  praises  and  hallelujahs  to  God, 
without  ceasing,  day  or  night ;  and  therefore  doubtless 
will  allow  that  the  more  the  saints  on  earth  are  like 
them  in  their  dispositions,  the  more  they  will  be  dis- 
posed to  do  like  them.  They  will  readily  own  that  the 
generality  of  christians  have  great  reason  to  be  ashamed 
that  they  have  so  little  thankfulness,  and  are  no  more  in 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  269 

praising  God,  whom  they  have  such  infinite  cause  to 
praise.  And  why  therefore  should  christians  be  found 
fault  with  for  showing  a  disposition  to  be  much  in  prais- 
ing God  and  manifesting  a  delight  in  that  heavenly  ex- 
ercise '?  To  complain  of  this,  is  to  be  too  much  like  the 
Pharisees,  who  were  disgusted  when  the  multitude  of 
the  disciples  began  to  rejoice,  and  with  loud  voices  to 
praise  God,  and  cry  Hosanna,  when  Christ  was  enterino- 
into  Jerusalem. 

There  are  many  things  in  Scripture  that  seem  to  inti- 
mate that  praising  God,  both  in  speeches  and  songs, 
will  be  what  the  church  of  God  will  very  much  abound 
in  in  the  approaching  glorious  day.  So  on  the  seventh 
day  of  compassing  the  walls  of  Jericho,  when  the  priests 
blew  with  the  trumpets  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  the 
people  shouted  with  a  great  shout,  and  the  wall  of  the 
city  fell  down  flat.  So  the  ark  was  brought  back  from 
its  banishment  with  extraordinary  shouting  and  singing 
of  the  whole  congregation  of  Israel.  And  the  places  in 
the  prophecies  of  Scripture  that  signify  that  the  church 
of  God,  in  that  glorious  jubilee  that  is  foretold,  shall 
greatly  abound  in  singing  and  shouting  forth  the  praises 
of  God,  are  too  many  to  be  mentioned.  And  there  will 
be  cause  enough  for  it :  I  believe  it  will  be  a  time 
wherein  both  heaven  and  earth  will  be  much  more  full 
of  joy  and  praise  than  ever  they  were  before. 

But  what  is  more  especially  found  fault  with  in  the 
singing  that  is  now  practised,  is  making  use  of  hymns 
of  human  composition.  I  am  far  from  thinking  that  the 
book  of  Psalms  should  be  thrown  by  in  our  public  wor- 
ship ;  it  should  always  be  used  in  the  christian  church 
to  the  end  of  the  world  ;  but  I  know  of  no  obligation  w^ 


270  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

are  under  to  confine  ourselves  to  it.  I  can  find  no  com- 
mand or  rule  of  God's  w^ord  that  does  any  more  confine 
us  to  the  vv^ords  of  the  Scripture  in  our  singing,  than  it 
does  in  our  praying ;  we  speak  to  God  in  both :  and  I 
can  see  no  more  reason  why  we  should  limit  ourselves 
to  the  particular  forms  of  words  that  we  find  in  the 
Bible,  in  speaking  to  him  by  way  of  praise,  in  metre, 
and  with  music,  than  when  we  speak  to  him  in  prose,  by 
way  of  prayer  and  supplication.  And  it  is  really  need- 
ful that  we  should  have  some  other  songs  besides  the 
psalms  of  David :  it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the 
christian  church  should  for  ever,  and  even  in  times  of 
her  greatest  light,  in  her  praises  of  God  and  the  Lamb, 
be  confined  only  to  the  words  of  the  Old  Testament, 
wherein  all  the  greatest  and  most  glorious  things  of  the 
Gospel,  that  are  infinitely  the  greatest  subjects  of  her 
praise,  are  spoken  of  under  a  vail,  and  not  so  much  as 
the  name  of  our  glorious  Redeemer  ever  mentioned,  but 
in  some  dark  figure,  or  as  hid  under  the  name  of  some 
type.  And  as  to  our  making  use  of  the  words  of  others, 
and  not  those  that  are  conceived  by  ourselves,  it  is  no 
more  than  we  do  in  all  our  public  prayers ;  the  whole 
worshipping  assembly,  excepting  one  only,  make  use  of 
the  words  that  are  conceived  by  him  that  speaks  for  the 
rest. 

Another  thing  that  many  have  disliked,  is  the  religious 
tncetings  of  children,  to  read  and  pray  together,  and  per- 
form religious  exercises  by  themselves.  What  is  ob- 
jected is  children's  want  of  that  knowledge  and  discre- 
tion that  is  requisite  in  order  to  a  decent  and  profitable 
management  of  religious  exercises.  But  it  appears  to 
me  the  objection  is  not  sufficient :    children,  as  they  have 


ITS    FRIENDS    INJURIOUSLY    BLAMED.  271 

the  nature  of  men,  are  inclined  to  society  ;  and  those  of 
them  that  are  capable  of  society  one  with  another,  are 
capable  of  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  its  ac- 
tive fruits ;  and  if  they  are  inclined,  by  a  religious  dispo- 
sition that  they  have  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  improve 
their  society  one  w^ith  another  in  a  religious  manner 
and  to  religious  purposes,  w^ho  should  forbid  them  1  If 
they  have  not  discretion  to  observe .  method  in  their  re- 
Jigious  performances,  or  to  speak  sense  in  all  that  they 
say  in  prayer,  they  may  notwithstanding  have  a  good 
meaning,  and  God  understands  them,  and  it  does  not 
spoil  or  interrupt  their  devotion  with  one  another. 

We  that  are  grovni  persons,  have  defects  in  our  prayers 
that  are  a  thousand  times  worse  in  the  sight  of  God,  and 
are  a  greater  confusion  and  more  absurd  nonsense  in 
his  eyes,  than  their  childish  indiscretions.  There  is  not 
so  much  difference  before  God,  between  children  and 
grown  persons,  as  we  are  ready  to  imagine ;  we  are  all 
poor,  ignorant,  foolish  babes,  in  his  sight  :  our  adult  age 
does  not  bring  us  so  much  nearer  to  God  as  we  are  apt 
to  think.  God  in  this  work  has  shown  a  remarkable  re- 
gard to  little  children ;  never  was  there  such  a  glorious 
work  amongst  persons  in  their  childhood,  as  has  been  of 
late  in  New  England :  he  has  been  pleased  in  a  won- 
derful manner  to  perfect  praise  out  of  the  mouths  oi 
babes  and  sucklings;  and  many  of  them  have  more  ot 
that  knowledge  and  wisdom  that  pleases  him,  and  ren- 
ders their  religious  worship  acceptable,  than  many  of 
the  great  and  learned  men  of  the  world;  it  is  they  who, 
in  the  sight  of  God,  are  the  ignorant  and  foolish  chil- 
dren :  these  are  grown  men,  and  a  hundred  years  old,  in 
comparison  with  them ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 


272  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

days  are  coming,  prophesied  of  Isaiah,  65  :  20,  when 
**  the  child  shall  die  a  hundred  years  old." 

I  have  seen  many  happy  effects  of  children's  religious 
meetings ;  and  God  has  seemed  often  remarkably  to 
own  them  in  their  meetings,  and  really  descended  from 
heaven  to  be  amongst  them  :  I  have  known  several  pro- 
bable instances  of  children's  being  converted  at  such 
meetings.  I  should  therefore  think,  that  if  children  ap- 
pear to  be  really  moved  to  it  by  a  religious  disposition, 
and  not  merely  from  a  childish  affectation  of  imitating 
grown  persons,  they  ought  by  no  means  to  be  discour- 
aged or  discountenanced ;  but  yet  it  is  fit  that  care 
should  be  taken  of  them,  by  their  parents  and  pastors, 
to  instruct  and  direct  them,  and  to  correct  imprudent 
conduct  and  irregularities,  if  they  are  perceived ;  or 
any  thing  by  which  the  devil  may  pervert  and  destroy 
the  design  of  their  meetings. 

All  should  take  heed  that  they  do  not  find  fault  with 
and  despise  the  religion  of  children  from  an  evil  prin- 
ciple, lest  they  should  be  like  the  chief  priests  and 
scribes,  who  were  sore  displeased  at  the  religious  wor- 
ship and  praises  of  little  children,  and  the  honor  they 
gave  Christ  in  the  temple.  We  have  an  account  of  it, 
and  what  Christ  said  upon  it,  in  Matthew,  21  :  15,  16, 
"  And  when  the  chief  priests  and  scribes  saw  the  won- 
derful things  that  he  did,  and  the  children  crying  in  the 
temple  and  saying,  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of  David,  they 
were  sore  displeased,  and  said  unto  him,  Hearest  thou 
what  these  say  1  And  Jesus  saith  unto  them.  Yea :  have 
ye  never  read,  Out  of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings 
thou  hast  perfected  praise  ]" 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  273 


PART    IV. 


SHOWING  WHAT  THINGS  ARE  TO  BE  CORRECTED  OR 
AVOIDED  IN  PROMOTING  THIS  WORK,  OR  IN  OUR  BE- 
HAVIOR   UNDER    IT. 

Having  thus  observed,  in  some  instances,  wherein  the 
conduct  of  those  that  have  appeared  to  be  the  subjects 
of  this  work,  or  have  been  zealous  to  promote  it,  has 
been  objected  against,  or  complained  of,  without  or  be- 
yond just  cause,  I  proceed  now,  in  the  second  place,  to 

show  WHAT  THINGS  OUGHT  TO  BE   CORRECTED  OR  AVOIDED. 

1.    The  duty  to  considei'  and  guard  against  errors  into 
which  the  promoters  of  religion  may  fall. 

Many  that  are  zealous  for  this  glorious  work  of  God, 
are  heartily  sick  of  the  great  noise  there  is  in  the 
country  about  imprudences  and  disorders :  they  have 
heard  it  so  often  from  the  mouths  of  opposers  that  they 
are  prejudiced  against  the  sound ;  and  they  look  upon  it 
that  what  is  called  being  prudent  and  regular,  which  is 
so  much  insisted  on,  is  no  other  than  being  asleep,  or 
cold  and  dead  in  religion,  and  that-the  great  imprudence 
that  is  so  much  cried  out  against,  is  only  being  alive  and 
engaged  in  the  things  of  God.  They  are  therefore  ra- 
ther confirmed  in  any  practice,  than  brought  off  from  it, 
by  the  clamor  they  hear  against  it  as  imprudent  and  ir- 


regular. 


12* 


274  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

And  to  tell  the  truth,  the  cry  of  irregularity  and  im- 
prudence has  been  much  more  in  the  mouths  of  those 
that  have  been  enemies  to  the  main  of  the  work  than 
others  ;  for  they  have  watched  for  the  halting  of  the 
zealous,  and  eagerly  catched  at  any  thing  that  has  been 
wrong,  and  have  greatly  insisted  on  it,  made  the  most 
of  it  and  magnified  it ;  especially  have  they  watched  for 
errors  in  zealous  preachers,  that  are  much  in  reproving 
and  condemning  the  wickedness  of  the  times :  they 
would  therefore  do  well  to  consider  that  scripture,  Isaiah, 
29  :  20,  21,  *'  The  scomer  is  consumed,  and  all  that 
watch  for  iniquity  are  cut  off,  that  make  a  man  an  of- 
fender for  a  word,  and  lay  a  snare  for  him  that  reproveth 
in  the  gate,  and  turn  aside  the  just  for  a  thing  of  nought." 
They  have  not  only  too  much  insisted  on  and  magnified 
real  errors  but  have  very  injuriously  charged  those  en- 
gaged in  the  work  as  guilty  in  things  wherein  they  have 
been  innocent  and  have  done  their  duty.  This  has  so 
prejudiced  the  minds  of  some,  that  they  have  been  ready 
to  think  that  all  that  has  been  said  about  errors  and  im- 
prudences was  injurious  and  from  an  ill  spirit;  and  has 
confirmed  them  in  the  impression  that  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  any  prevailing  imprudence  ;  and  it  has  made 
them  less  cautious  and  suspicious  of  themselves  lest 
they  should  err. 

Herein  the  devil  has  had  an  advantage  put  into  his 
hands,  and  has  improved  it;  and  doubtless  has  been 
too  subtle  for  some  of  the  true  friends  of  religion.  It 
would  be  a  strange  thing  indeed,  if  in  so  great  a  com- 
motion and  revolution,  and  such  a  new  state  of  things, 
wherein  so  many  have  been  engaged,  none  have  been 
guilty  of  any  imprudence ;  it  would  be  such  a  revival  of 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  275 

religion  as  never  was  yet,  if  among  so  many  men,  not 
guided  by  infallible  inspiration,  there  had  not  been  pre- 
vailing many  errors  in  judgment  and  conduct ;  our 
young  preachers  and  young  converts  must  in  general 
vastly  exceed  Luther,  the  head  of  the  Reformation,  who 
was  guilty  of  a  great  many  excesses  in  that  great  work 
in  which  God  made  him  the  chief  instrument. 

If  we  look  back  into  the  history  of  the  church  of  God 
in  past  ages,  we  may  observe  that  it  has  been  a  common 
device  of  the  devil  to  overset  a  revival  of  religion,  when 
he  finds  he  can  keep  men  quiet  and  secure  no  longer, 
then  to  drive  them  to  excesses  and  extravagances.  He 
holds  them  back  as  long  as  he  can,  but  when  he  can  do 
it  no  longer,  then  he  will  push  them  on,  and  if  possible 
run  them  headlong.  And  it  has  been  by  these  means 
chiefly  that  he  has  been  successful,  in  several  instances, 
to  overthrow  most  hopeful  and  promising  beginnings : 
yea,  the  principal  means  by  which  the  devil  was  success- 
ful, by  degrees,  to  overset  that  grand  religious  revival 
of  the  world  in  the  primitive  ages  of  Christianity,  and 
in  a  manner  to  overthrow  the  christian  church  through 
the  earth,  and  to  make  way  for  and  bring  on  the  great 
antichristian  apostacy,  that  masterpiece  of  the  devil's 
work,  was  to  improve  the  indiscreet  zeal  of  christians, 
to  drive  them  into  those  three  extremes,  of  enthusiasm^ 
su])ersiition,  and  severity  toiuards  opposers  ;  which  should 
be  enough  for  an  everlasting  warning  to  the  christian 
church. 

Though  the  devil  will  do  his  diligence  to  stir  up  the 
open  enemies  of  religion,  yet  he  knows  what  is  for  his 
interest  so  well,  that  in  a  time  of  revival  of  religion  his 
main  strength  shall  be  tried  with  the  friends  oi  it,  and 


276  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

he  will  chiefly  exert  himself  in  his  attempts  upon  them 
to  mislead  them.  One  truly  zealous  person  in  the  time 
of  such  an  event,  that  seems  to  have  a  great  hand  in  the 
w^ork  and  draws  the  eyes  of  many  upon  him,  may  do 
more,  through  Satan's  being  too  subtle  for  him,  to  hinder 
the  work,  than  a  hundred  great,  and  strong,  and  open 
opposers. 

In  the  time  of  a  great  work  of  Christ,  his  hands,  with 
which  he  works,  are  often  wounded  in  the  house  of  his 
friends,  and  his  work  hindered  chiefly  by  them  :  so  that 
if  any  one  inquires,  as  in  Zech.  13  :  6,  "  What  are  those 
wounds  in  thine  hands  V  he  may  answer,  **  Those  with 
which  I  was  wounded  in  the  house  of  my  friends." 

The  errors  of  the  friends  of  the  work  of  God,  and  es- 
pecially of  the  great  promoters  of  it,  give  vast  advantage 
to  the  enemies  of  such  a  work.  Indeed  there  are  many 
things  that  are  no  errors,  but  are  only  duties  faithfully 
and  thoroughly  done,  that  wound  the  minds  of  such  per- 
sons more  and  give  more  offence  to  them  than  real  errors  : 
but  yet  one  real  error  gives  opposers  as  much  advantage 
and  hinders  and  clogs  the  work  as  much  as  ten  that  are 
only  supposed  ones.  Real  errors  do  not  fret  and  gall  the 
enemies  of  religion  so  much  as  those  things  that  are  strict- 
ly right ;  but  they  encourage  them  more ;  they  give  them 
liberty  and  open  a  gap  for  them  ;  so  that  some  that  before 
kept  their  enmity  burning  in  their  own  breasts  and  durst 
not  show  themselves,  will  on  such  an  occasion  take  cou- 
rage and  give  themselves  vent,  and  their  rage  will  be  like 
that  of  an  enemy  let  loose  ;  and  those  that  lay  still  before, 
having  nothing  to  say  but  what  they  would  be  ashamed 
of  (agreeable  to  Titus,  2  :  8,)  when  they  have  such  a  wea- 
pon put  into  their  hands  will  fight  with  all  violence.  And 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  277 

indeed  the  enemies  of  religion  would  not  know  what  to 
do  for  weapons  to  fight  with  were  it  not  for  the  errors  of 
the  friends  of  it,  and  must  soon  fall  before  them.  And 
besides  in  real  eiTors,  things  that  are  truly  disagreeable 
to  the  rules  of  God's  word,  we  cannot  expect  the  divine 
protection,  and  that  God  will  appear  on  our  side,  as  if 
our  errors  were  only  supposed  ones. 

Since  therefore  the  errors  of  the  friends  and  promoters 
of  such  a  glorious  work  of  God  are  of  such  dreadful  con- 
sequence, and  seeing  the  devil  being  sensible  of  this  is 
so  assiduous,  and  watchful  and  subtle  in  his  attempts  with 
them,  and  has  thereby  been  so  successful  to  overthrow 
religion  heretofore,  certainly  the  friends  of  the  work  ought 
to  be  exceedingly  circumspect  and  vigilant,  diffident  and 
jealous  of  themselves,  and  humbly  dependent  on  the  guid- 
ance of  the  good  Shepherd.  1  Pet.  4:7,"  Be  sober,  and 
watch  unto  prayer."  And. chap.  5  :  8,  "Be  sober,  be  vi- 
gilant ;  because  your  adversary  the  devil,  as  a  roaring  lion, 
walketh  about."  For  persons  to  go  on  resolutely  in  a  kind 
of  heat  and  vehemence,  despising  admonition  and  correc- 
tion, being  confident  that  they  must  be  in  the  right  be- 
cause they  are  full  of  the  Spirit,  is  directly  contrary  to  the 
import  of  these  words,  he  sober,  he  vigilant. 

It  is  a  mistake  I  have  observed  in  some,  by  which  they 
have  been  gi'eatly  exposed  to  their  wounding,  that  they 
think  they  are  in  no  danger  of  going  astray  or  being  mis- 
led by  the  devil  hecause  they  are  ntarto  God;  and  so  have 
no  jealous  eye  upon  themselves,  and  neglect  vigilance 
and  circumspection  as  needless  in  their  case.  They  say 
they  do  not  think  that  God  will  leave  them  to  dishonor 
him  and  wound  religion  as  long  as  they  keep  near  to  him  : 
and  I  believe  so  too,  as  long  as  they  keep  near  to  God  in 


278  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

this  respect,  that  they  maintain  a  universal  and  diligent 
watch  and  care  to  do  their  duty,  and  avoid  sin  and  snares, 
with  diffidence  in  themselves  and  humble  dependence 
and  prayerfulness ;  but  they  are  not  safe  merely  because 
they  are  near  to  God,  in  that  they  now  are  receiving 
blessed  communications  from  God  in  refreshing  views  of 
him,  if  at  the  same  time  they  let  down  their  watch  and 
are  not  jealous  over  their  own  heart,  by  reason  of  its  re- 
maining blindness  and  corruption  and  a  subtle  adversary. 
It  is  a  grand  error  for  persons  to  think  they  are  out  of 
danger  of  the  devil  and  a  corrupt;  deceitful  heart,  even 
in  their  highest  flights  and  most  raised  frames  of  spiri- 
tual joy.  For  persons  in  such  a  confidence  to  cease  to  be 
jealous  of  themselves,  and  to  neglect  watchfulness  and 
care,  is  a  presumption  by  which  I  have  known  many  wo- 
fully  ensnared.  However  highly  we  may  be  favored  with 
divine  discoveries  and  comforts,  yet  as  long  as  we  are  in 
the  world  we  are  in  the  enemy's  country,  and  therefore 
that  direction  of  Christ  to  his  disciples  is  never  out  of  date 
in  this  world,  Luke,  21  :  36 ;  *'  Watch  and  pray  always, 
that  ye  may  be  accounted  worthy  to  escape  all  these 
things,  and  to  stand  before  the  Son  of  man." 

This  direction  was  not  out  of  date  with  the  disciples, 
to  whom  it  was  given,  after  they  came  to  be  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  out  of  their  bellies  flowed  rivers  of 
living  water,  by  that  great  effusion  of  the  Spirit  upon 
them  that  began  on  the  day  of  pentecost.  And  though 
God  stands  ready  to  protect  his  people,  especially  those 
that  are  near  to  him,  yet  he  expects  of  all  great  care  and 
labor ;  and  that  we  should  put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God, 
that  we  may  stand  in  the  evil  day :  and  whatever  spiri- 
tual privileges  we  are  raised  to,  we  have  no  warrant  to 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  279 

expect  protection  in  any  other  way;  for  God  has  ap- 
pointed this  whole  life  as  a  state  of  labor,  to  be  all  as  a 
race  or  a  battle.  The  state  of  rest  wherein  we  shall  be  so 
out  of  danger  as  to  have  no  need  of  watching  and  fight- 
ing, is  reserved  for  another  world. 

I  have  known  it  in  abundance  of  instances,  that  the  de- 
vil has  come  in  very  remarkably,  even  in  the  midst  of  the 
most  exalted  and,  upon  some  accounts,  excellent  frames  : 
it  may  seem  a  great  mystery  that  it  should  be  so ;  but  it 
is  no  greater  mystery  than  that  Christ  should  be  taken 
captive  by  the  devil  and  carried  into  the  wilderness,  im- 
mediately  after  the  heavens  had  been  opened  to  him,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost  descended  like  a  dove  upon  him,  and  he 
heard  that  comfortable,  joyful  voice  from  the  Father,  say- 
ing, This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  icell  pleased. 
In  like  manner  Christ  in  the  heart  of  a  christian  is  often- 
times as  it  were  taken  by  the  devil  and  carried  captive 
into  a  wilderness,  presently  after  heaven  has  been  as  it 
were  opened  to  the  soul,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  has  de- 
scended upon  it  like  a  dove,  and  God  has  been  sweetly 
owning  the  believer  and  testifying  his  favor  to  him  as 
his  beloved  child. 

It  is  therefore  a  great  error  and  sin  in  some  persons 
at  this  day,  that  they  are  fixed  in  their  way  in  some 
things  that  others  account  errors,  and  will  not  hearken 
to  admonition  and  counsel,  but  are  confident  that  they 
are  in  the  right  in  those  practices  that  they  find  them- 
selves disposed  to,  because  God  is  much  with  them,  and 
they  have  great  degrees  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  There  were 
some  such  in  the  apostles'  days  :  the  Apostle  Paul,  v/rit- 
ing  to  the  Corinthians,  was  sensible  that  some  of  them 
would  not  be  easily  convinced  that  they  had  been  in  any 


280  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

error,  because  they  looked  upon  themselves  as  spiritual^ 
or  full  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  1  Cor.  11  :  37,  38,  "  If  any 
man  think  himself  to  be  a  prophet,  or  spiritual,  let  him 
acknowledge  that  the  things  that  I  write  unto  you  are 
the  commandment  of  the  Lord;  but  if  any  man  be  igno- 
rant, let  him  be  ignorant." 

And  although  those  that  are  spiritual  amongst  us  have 
no  infallible  apostle  to  admonish  them,  yet  let  me  entreat 
them,  by  the  love  of  Christ,  calmly  and  impartially  to 
weigh  what  may  be  said  to  them  by  one  that  is  their 
hearty  and  fervent  friend  (although  an  inferior  worm,)  in 
giving  his  humble  opinion  concerning  the  errors  that  have 
been  committed,  or  that  we  may  be  exposed  to  in  me- 
thods or  practices  that  have  been  or  may  be  fallen  into 
by  the  zealous  friends  or  promoters  of  this  great  work 
of  God. 

In  speaking  of  the  errors  that  have  existed,  or  that  we 
are  in  danger  of,  I  would, 

First,  notice  the  causes  whence  the  errors  that  attend  a 
great  revival  of  religion  usually  arise  :  and  as  I  go  along, 
notice  some  particular  errors  that  arise  from  each  of  those 
C9.uses. 

Secondly,  observe  some  errors  that  some  have  lately 
gone  into,  that  have  been  owing  to  the  iiijluence  of  several 
of  those  causes  conjunctly. 

As  to  the  first  of  these,  the  errors  that  attend  a  great 
revival  of  religion  usually  arise  from  these  three  things : 
1.  Undiscerned  spiritual  pride.  2.  Wrong  principles. 
3.  Ignorance  of  Satan's  advantages  and  devices. 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  281 

2.  Spiritual  pride  a  prominent  cause  of  errors  in  a  revival 
of  religion. 

The  first,  and  the  worst  cause  of  errors  that  prevail 
in  such  a  state  of  things,  is  spiritual  pride.  This  is  the 
main  door  by  which  the  devil  comes  into  the  hearts  of 
those  that  are  zealous  for  the  advancement  of  religion. 
It  is  the  chief  inlet  of  smoke  from  the  bottomless  pit,  to 
darken  the  mind  and  mislead  the  judgment  :  this  is  the 
main  handle  by  which  the  devil  has  hold  of  religious 
persons,  and  the  chief  source  of  all  the  mischief  that  he 
introduces  to  clog  and  hinder  a  work  of  God.  This 
cause  of  error  is  the  main-spring,  or  at  least  the  main 
support  of  all  the  rest.  Until  this  disease  is  cured, 
medicines  are  in  vain  applied  to  heal  other  diseases.  It 
is  by  this  that  the  mind  defends  itself  in  other  errors, 
and  guards  itself  against  light,  by  which  it  might  be  cor- 
rected and  reclaimed. 

The  spiritually  proud  man  is  full  of  light  already ;  he 
does  not  need  instruction,  and  is  ready  to  despise  the 
offer  of  it.  But  if  this  disease  be  healed,  other  things 
are  easily  rectified.  The  humble  person  is  like  a  little 
child,  he  easily  receives  instruction ;  he  is  jealous  over 
himself,  sensible  how  liable  he  is  to  go  astray ;  and  there- 
fore if  it  be  suggested  to  him  that  he  does  so,  he  is  ready 
most  narrowly  and  impartially  to  inquire.  Nothing  sets 
a  person  so  much  out  of  the  devjl's  reach  as  humility, 
and  so  prepares  the  mind  for  true  divine  light,  without 
darkness,  and  so  clears  the  eye  to  look  on  things  as  they 
truly  are.  Psalm  25  :  9,  "  The  meek  will  he  guide  in 
judgment,  and  the  meek  he  will  teach  his  way."  There 
fore  we  should  fight,  neither  with  small  nor  with  great, 


282  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

but  with  the  king  of  Israel :  our  first  care  should  be  to 
rectify  the  heart,  and  pull  the  beam  out  of  our  eye,  and 
then  we  shall  see  clearly. 

I  know  that  a  great  many  things  at  this  day  are  very 
injuriously  laid  to  the  pride  of  those  that  are  zealous  in 
the  cause  of  God.  AVhen  any  person  appears,  in  any 
respect,  remarkably  distinguished  in  religion  from  others, 
if  he  professes  those  spiritual  comfoi'ts  and  joys  that  are 
greater  than  ordinary,  or  if  he  appears  distinguishingly 
zealous  in  religion,  if  he  exerts  himself  more  than  others 
do  in  the  cause  of  religion,  or  if  he  seems  to  be  distin- 
guished with  success,  ten  to  one  but  it  will  immediately 
awaken  the  jealousy  of  those  that  are  about  him ;  and 
they  will  suspect  (v/hether  they  have  cause  or  no) 
that  he  is  very  proud  of  his  goodness,  and  that  he 
affects  to  have  it  thought  that  nobody  is  so  good  as  he  ; 
and  all  his  talk  is  heard,  and  all  his  behavior  beheld 
with  this  prejudice.  Those  that  are  themselves  cold  and 
dead,  and  especially  such  as  never  had  any  experience 
of  the  power  of  godliness  in  their  own  hearts,  are  ready 
to  entertain  such  thoughts  of  the  best  christians  ;  which 
arises  from  a  secret  enmity  against  vital  and  fervent  piety. 

But  then  those  that  are  zealous  christians  should  take 
heed  that  this  injuriousness  of  those  that  are  cold  in  re- 
ligion does  not  prove  a  snare  to  them,  and  that  the  devil 
does  not  take  advantage  from  it  to  blind  their  eyes  from 
beholding  what  there  is  indeed  of  this  nature  in  their 
hearts,  and  make  them  think,  because  they  are  charged 
with  pride  wrongfully  and  from  an  ill  spirit  in  many 
things,  that  therefore  it  is  so  in  every  thing.  Alas,  how 
much  pride  have  the  best  of  us  in  our  hearts  !  It  is  the 
worst  part  of  the  body  of  sin  and  death :  it  is  the  first 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  283 

sin  that  ever  entered  into  the  universe,  and  the  last  that 
is  rooted  out :  it  is  God's  most  stubborn  enemy. 

The  corruption  of  nature  may  all  be  resolved  into  two 
things,  jn'ide  and  icorldly-inindedness,  the  devil  and  the 
hcast^  or  self  and  the  ivorld.  These  are  the  two  pillars  of 
D agon's  temple  on  which  the  whole  house  leans.  But 
tlie  former  of  these  is  every  way  the  worst  part  of  the 
corruption  of  nature ;  it  is  the  first-bom  son  of  the  devil, 
and  his  image  in  the  heart  of  man  chiefly  consists  in  it; 
it  is  the  last  thing  in .  a  sinner  that  is  overborne  by  con- 
viction in  order  to  conversion  ;  and  here  is  the  saint's 
hardest  conflict,  it  is  the  last  thing  that  he  obtains  a  good 
degree  of  conquest  over  and  liberty  from ;  it  is  that 
which  most  directly  militates  against  God,  and  is  most 
contrary  to  the  Spirit  of  the  Lamb  of  God  ;  and  it  is 
most  like  the  devil  its  father,  in  a  serpentine  deceitful- 
ness  and  secrecy  :  it  lies  deepest,  and  is  most  active  and 
most  ready  secretly  to  mix  itself  with  every  thing. 

And  of  all  kinds  of  pride,  spiritual  pride  is  upon  many 
accounts  the  most  hateful :  it  is  most  like  the  devil ;  it  is 
most  like  the  sin  that  he  committed  in  a  heaven  of  light 
and  glory,  where  he  was  exalted  high  in  divine  know- 
ledge, honor,  beauty  and  happiness.  Pride  is  witli  much 
more  difficulty  discerned  than  any  other  corruption,  for 
this  reason,  that  the  nature  of  it  very  much  consists  in  a 
person's  having  too  high  a  thought  of  himself.  No  won- 
der that  he  that  has  too  high  a  thought  of  himself  does 
not  know  it ;  for  he  necessarily  thinks  that  the  opinion 
he  has  of  himself  is  what  he  has  just  grounds  for,  and 
therefore  is  not  too  high ;  if  he  thought  such  an  opinion 
of  himself  was  without  just  grounds,  he  would  then 
cease  to  have  it. 


284  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

But  of  all  kinds  of  pride,  spiritual  pride  is  the  most 
hidden,  and  with  most  difficulty  discerned ;  and  that  for 
this  reason,  because  the  pride  of  those  that  are  spirit- 
ually proud  consists  much  in  a  high  conceit  of  these  two 
things,  their  light  and  their  humility ;  both  which  are 
a  strong  prejudice  against  a  discovery  of  their  pride. 
Being  proud  of  their  light,  that  makes  them  not  jealous 
of  themselves  ;  he  that  thinks  a  clear  light  shines  around 
him,  is  not  suspicious  of  any  enemy  lurking  near  hira 
unseen :  and  then  being  proud  of  their  humility,  that 
makes  them  least  of  all  jealous  of  themselves  in  that  par- 
ticular, namely,  as  being  under  the  prevalence  of  pride. 

There  are  many  sins  of  the  heart  that  are  very  secret 
in  their  nature,  and  with  great  difficulty  discerned.  The 
Psalmist  says,  Psalm  19  :  12,  *'  Who  can  understand  his 
errors  ]  Cleanse  thou  me  from  secret  faults."  But  spi- 
ritual pride  is  the  most  secret  of  all  sins.  The  heart  is 
so  deceitful  and  unsearchable  in  nothing  in  the  world  as 
it  is  in  this  matter,  and  there  is  no  sin  in  the  world  that 
men  are  so  confident  in,  and  with  so  much  difficulty  con- 
vinced of:  the  very  nature  of  it  is  to  work  self-confi- 
dence, and  drive  away  self-diffidence  and  jealousy  of  any 
evil  of  that  kind. 

There  is  no  sin  so  much  like  the  devil  as  this  for 
secrecy  and  subtlety,  and  appearing  in  a  great  many 
shapes  undiscerned  and  unsuspected,  even  appearing  as 
an  angel  of  light.  It  takes  occasion  to  arise  from  every 
thing ;  it  perverts  and  abuses  every  thing,  even  the  exer- 
cises of  real  grace  and  real  humility,  as  an  occasion  to 
exert  itself:  it  is  a  sin  that  has,  as  it  were,  many  lives  ; 
if  you  kill  it,  it  will  live  still ;  if  you  mortify  and  sup- 
press it  in  one  shape,  it  rises  in  another ;  if  you  think  it 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  285 

is  all  gone,  yet  it  is  there  still :  there  are  a  great  many 
kinds  of  it,  that  lie  in  different  forms  and  shapes,  one 
under  another,  and  encompass  the  heart  like  the  coats 
of  an  onion  ;  if  you  pull  off  one  there  is  another  under- 
neath. We  need  therefore  to  have  the  greatest  v\^atch 
imaginable  over  our  hearts  w^ith  respect  to  this  matter, 
and  to  cry  most  earnestly  to  the  great  Searcher  of 
hearts  for  his  help.  He  that  trusts  his  own  heart  is  a  fool. 

God's  own  people  should  be  the  more  jealous  of  them- 
selves, with  respect  to  this  particular,  at  this  day,  be- 
cause the  temptations  that  many  have  to  this  sin  are  ex- 
ceeding great :  the  great  and  distinguishing  privileges  to 
which  God  admits  many  of  his  saints,  and  the  high  honor 
that  he  puts  on  some  ministers,  are  great  trials  of  per- 
sons in  this  respect.  It  is  true  that  great  degrees  of  the 
spiritual  presence  of  God  tend  greatly  to  mortify  pride 
and  all  corruption  ;  but  yet,  though  in  the  experience  of 
such  favors  there  be  much  to  restrain  pride  one  way, 
there  is  much  to  tempt  and  provoke  it  another  ;  and  we 
shall  be  in  great  danger  thereby  without  great  watchful- 
ness and  prayerfulness. 

There  was  much  in  the  circumstances  of  the  angels 
that  fell  in  heaven,  in  their  great  honors  and  high  privi- 
leges, in  beholding  the  face  of  God,  and  the  view  of  his 
infinite  glory,  to  cause  in  them  exercises  of  humility, 
and  to  keep  them  from  pride  ;  yet,  through  want  of 
watchfulness  in  them,  their  great'  honor  and  heavenly 
privileges  proved  to  be  to  them  an  undoing  temptation 
to  pride,  though  they  had  no  principle  of  pride  in  their 
hearts  to  expose  them.  Let  no  saint  therefore,  however 
eminent,  and  however  near  to  God,  think  himself  out  of 
danorer  of  this  :  he  that  thinks  himself  most  out  of  dan- 


286  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

ger,  is  indeed  most  in  danger.  The  apostle  Paul,  w^ho 
doubtless  w^as  as  eminent  a  saint  as  any  are  now,  was 
not  out  of  danger,  even  just  after  he  was  admitted  to 
see  God  in  the  third  heaven,  by  the  information  he  him- 
self gives  us,  2  Cor.  chap.  12.  And  yet,  doubtless,  what 
he  saw  in  heaven  of  the  ineffable  glory  of  the  divine 
Being  had  a  direct  tendency  to  make  him  appear  ex- 
ceeding little  and  vile  in  his  own  eyes. 

3.  Spiritual  Pride — some  of  its  Effects  and  Traits. 

Spiritual  pride  in  its  own  nature  is  so  secret,  that  it 
is  not  so  well  discerned  by  immediate  intuition  on  the 
thing  itself,  as  by  the  effects  and  fruits  of  it ;  some  of 
which  I  would  mention,  together  with  the  contrary  fruits 
of  pure  christian  humility. 

Spiritual  pride  disposes  to  speak  of  other  persons''  sins, 
their  enmity  against  God  and  his  people,  the  miserable 
delusion  of  hypocrites  and  their  enmity  against  vital 
piety,  and  the  deadness  of  some  saints,  with  bitterness, 
or  with  laughter  and  levity,  and  an  air  of  contempt ; 
whereas  pure  christian  humility  rather  disposes  either 
to  be  silent  about  them,  or  to  speak  of  them  with  grief 
and  pity. 

Spiritual  pride  is  very  apt  to  suspect  others  :  whereas 
a  humble  saint  is  most  jealous  of  himself;  he  is  so  sus- 
picious of  nothing  in  the  world  as  he  is  of  his  own 
heart.  The  spiritually  proud  person  is  apt  to  find  fault 
with  other  saints  that  they  are  low  in  grace,  and  to  be 
much  in  observing  how  cold  and  dead  they  are,  and  cry- 
ing out  against  them  for  it,  and  to  be  quick  to  discern 
and  take  notice  of  their  deficiencies  :  but  the  eminently 
humble  christian  has  so   much  to  do  at  home,  and  sees 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  287 

SO  much  evil  in  his  own  heart,  and  is  so  concerned  about 
it,  that  he  is  not  apt  to  be  very  busy  with  others'  hearts ; 
he  complains  most  of  himself,  and  cries  out  of  his  own 
coldness  and  lowness  in  grace,  and  is  apt  to  esteem 
others  better  than  himself,  and  is  ready  to  hope  that 
there  is  nobody  but  has  more  love  and  thankfulness 
to  God  than  he,  and  cannot  bear  to  think  that  others 
should  bring  forth  no  more  fruit  to  God's  honor  than  he. 

Some  that  have  spiritual  pride  mixed  with  high  dis- 
coveries and  great  transports  of  joy,  disposing  them  in 
an  earnest  manner  to  talk  to  others,  are  apt,  in  such 
frames,  to  be  calling  upon  other  christians  that  are  about 
them,  and  sharply  reproving  them  for  their  being  so  cold 
and  lifeless.  And  there  are  some  others  that  behave 
themselves  very  differently  from  these :  who  in  their  rap- 
tures are  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  their  own  vile- 
ness ;  and  when  they  have  extraordinary  discoveries  of 
God's  glory,  are  all  taken  up  about  their  own  sinfulness  ; 
and  though  they  also  are  disposed  to  speak  much  and 
very  earnestly,  yet  it  is  very  much  in  crying  out  of  them- 
selves, and  exhorting  fellow-christians,  but  in  a  charita- 
ble and  humble  manner.  Pure  christian  humility  dis- 
poses a  person  to  take  notice  of  every  thing  that  is  in 
any  respect  good  in  others  and  to  make  the  best  of  it, 
and  to  diminish  their  failings ;  but  to  have  his  eye  chiefly 
on  those  things  that  are  bad  in  himself  and  to  take  much 
notice  of  every  thing  that  aggravates  them. 

In  a  contrariety  to  this,  it  has  been  the  manner  in 
some  places,  or  at  least  the  manner  of  some  persons,  to 
speak  of  almost  every  thing  that  they  see  amiss  in  others 
in  the  most  harsh,  severe  and  terrible  language.  It  is 
frequent  with  them  to  say  of  others'  opinions  or  conduct 


288  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

or  advice,  or  of  their  coldness,  their  silence,  their  caution, 
their  moderation,  and  their  prudence,  and  many  other 
things  that  appear  in  them,  that  they  are  from  the  devil, 
or  from  hell ;  that  such  a  thing  is  devilish,  or  hellish,  or 
cursed,  and  that  such  persons  are  serving  the  devil,  or 
the  devil  is  in  them,  that  they  are  soul-murderers,  and 
the  like  ;  so  that  the  words  devil  and  hell  are  almost  con- 
tinually in  their  mouths.  And  such  kind  of  language 
they  will  commonly  use  not  only  towards  wicked  men, 
but  towards  them  that  they  themselves  allow  to  be  the 
true  children  of  God,  and  also  towards  ministers  of  the 
Gospel  and  others  that  are  very  much  their  superiors. 
And  they  look  upon  it  a  virtue  and  high  attainment  thus 
to  behave  themselves.  Oh,  say  they,  we  must  he  plairi- 
liearted  and  hold  for  Christ,  we  must  declare  war  against 
sin  wherever  we  see  it,  ice  must  not  mince  the  matter  in  the 
cause  of  God,  and  when  speaking  for  Christ.  And  to 
make  any  distinction  in  persons,  or  to  speak  the  more 
tenderly,  because  that  which  is  amiss  is  seen  in  a  supe- 
rior, they  look  upon  as  very  mean  for  a  follower  of 
Christ,  when  speaking  in  the  cause  of  his  Master. 

What  a  strange  device  of  the  devil  is  here  to  over- 
throw all  christian  meekness  and  gentleness,  and  even 
all  show  and  appearance  of  it,  and  to  defile  the  mouths 
of  the  children  of  God,  and  to  introduce  the  language  of 
common  sailors  among  the  followers  of  Christ,  under  a 
cloak  of  high  sanctity  and  zeal  and  boldness  for  Christ ! 
And  it  is  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  weakness  of  the 
human  mind,  and  how  much  too  cunning  the  devil  is 
for  us  ! 

The  grand  defence  of  this  way  of  talking  is,  that  they 
say  no  more  than  what  is  true ;  they  only  speak  the  truth 


THINGS    TO    BE   AVOIDED.  289 

without  mincing  the  matter;  and  that  true  christians 
who  have  a  great  sight  of  the  evil  of  sin  and  acquaint- 
ance with  their  own  hearts  know  it  to  be  true,  and  there- 
fore will  not  be  offended  to  hear  such  harsh  expressions 
made  use  of  concerning  them  and  their  sins  ;  it  is  only 
(say  they)  hypocrites,  or  cold  and  dead  christians,  that  aro 
provoked  and  feel  their  enmity  rise  on  such  an  occasion. 
But  it  is  a  grand  mistake  to  think  that  we  may  com- 
monly use  concerning  one  another  all  such  language  as 
represents  the  worst  of  each  other,  according  to  strict 
truth.  It  is  really  true  that  every  kind  of  sin,  and  every 
degree  of  it,  is  devilish  and  from  hell,  and  is  cursed, 
hellish,  and  condemned  or  damned :  and  if  persons  had 
a  full  sight  of  their  hearts  they  would  think  no  terms  too 
bad  for  them  ;  they  would  look  like  beasts,  like  serpents, 
and  like  devils  to  themselves  ;  they  would  be  at  a  loss 
for  language  to  express  what  they  see  in  themselves,  the 
worst  terms  they  could  think  of  would  seem  as  it  were 
faint  to  represent  what  they  see  in  themselves.  But 
shall  a  child  therefore,  from  time  to  time,  use  such  lan- 
guage concerning  an  excellent  and  eminently  holy  father 
or  mother,  as  that  the  devil  is  in  them,  that  they  have 
such  and  such  devilish,  cursed  dispositions,  that  they 
commit  every  day  hundreds  of  hellish,  damned  acts,  and 
that  they  are  cursed  dogs,  hell-hounds,  and  devils  1  And 
shall  the  meanest  of  the  people  be  justified  in  com- 
monly using  such  language  concerning  the  most  excel- 
lent magistrates  or  the  most  eminent  ministers  1  I  hope 
nobody  has  gone  to  this  height  :  but  the  same  pretences 
of  boldness,  plain-heartedness,  and  declared  war  against 
sin  will  as  well  justify  these  things  as  the  things  they 
are  actually  made  use  of  to  justify. 

Rp^•^val  of  Rol,  1-^ 


290  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

If  we  proceed  in  such  a  manner,  on  sucli  principles  as 
these,  w^hat  a  face  w^ill  be  introduced  upon  the  church 
of  Christ,  the  little  beloved  flock  of  that  gentle  shepherd 
the  Lamb  of  God  !  What  a  sound  shall  we  bring  into 
the  house  of  God,  into  the  family  of  his  dear  children ! 
How  far  off  shall  we  soon  banish  that  lovely  appearance 
of  humility,  sweetness,  gentleness,  mutual  honor,  bene- 
volence, complacence,  and  an  esteem  of  others  above 
themselves,  which  ought  to  clothe  the  children  of  God 
all  over  !  Not  but  that  christians  should  watch  over  one 
another,  and  in  any  wise  reprove  one  another,  and  be 
much  in  it,  and  do  it  plainly  and  faithfully  ;  but  it  does 
not  thence  follow  that  dear  brethren  in  the  family  of 
God,  in  rebuking  one  another  should  use  worse  language 
than  Michael  the  archangel  durst  use  when  rebuking  the 
devil  himself. 

Christians  that  are  but  fellow-worms  ought  at  least  to 
treat  one  another  with  as  much  humility  and  gentleness 
as  Christ  that  is  infinitely  above  them  treats  them.  But 
how  did  Christ  treat  his  disciples  when  they  were  so 
cold  towards  him  and  so  regardless  of  him  at  the  time 
when  his  soul  was  exceeding  sorrowful  even  unto 
death,  and  he  in  a  dismal  agony  was  crying  and  sweat- 
ing blood  for  them,  and  they  would  not  watch  with 
him  and  allow  him  the  comfort  of  their  company  one 
hour  in  his  great  distress,  though  he  once  and  again  de- 
sired it  of  them  ?  One  would  think  that  then  was  a 
proper  time  if  ever  to  have  reproved  them  for  a  devilish, 
hellish,  cursed  and  damned  slothfulness  and  deadness. 
But  after  what  manner  does  Christ  reprove  them  1  Be- 
hold his  astonishing  gentleness  !  Says  he.  What,  could  ye 
not  loatch  with  me  one  hour  ?   The  spirit  indeed  is  wiUi??g, 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  291 

but  the  JlesJi  is  weak.  And  how  did  he  treat  Peter  when 
he  was  ashamed  of  his  Master,  while  he  was  made  a 
mocking-stock  and  a  spitting-stock  for  him  '?  Why  he 
looked  upon  him  with  a  look  of  love,  and  melted  his 
heart. 

And  though  we  read  that  Christ  once  turned  and  said 
unto  Peter,  on  a  certain  occasion,  Get  thee  behind  rne, 
Satan  ;  and  this  may  seem  like  an  instance  of  harshness 
and  severity  in  reproving  Peter ;  yet  I  humbly  conceive 
that  this  is  by  many  taken  wrong,  and  that  this  is  indeed 
no  instance  of  Christ's  severity  in  his  treatment  of  Peter, 
but  on  the  contrary,  of  his  wonderful  gentleness  and 
grace,  distinguishing  between  Peter  and  the  devil  in 
him,  not  laying  the  blame  of  what  Peter  had  then  said, 
or  imputing  it  to  him,  but  to  the  devil  that  influenced 
him.  Christ  saw  the  devil  then  present,  secretly  influ- 
encing Peter  to  do  the  part  of  a  tempter  to  his  Master ; 
and  therefore  Christ  turned  him  about  to  Peter,  in  whom 
the  devil  then  was,  and  spake  to  the  devil  and  rebuked 
him.  Thus  the  grace  of  Christ  does  not  behold  iniquity 
in  his  people,  imputes  not  what  is  amiss  in  them  to 
them,  but  to  sin  that  dwells  in  them,  and  to  Satan  that 
influences  them.     But  to  return  : 

Spiritual  pride  often  disposes  persons  to  singularity  in 
external  appearance,  to  affect  a  singular  way  of  speaking, 
to  use  a  different  sort  of  dialect  from  others,  or  to  be 
singular  in  voice,  or  air  of  countenance  or  behavior :  but 
he  that  is  an  eminently  humble  christian,  though  he  will 
be  firm  to  his  duty,  however  singular  he  is  in  it,  and 
will  go  in  the  way  that  leads  to  heaven  alone,  though  all 
the  world  forsake  him  ;  yet  he  delights  not  in  singularity 
for  singularity's  sake,  he  docs  not  aff'ect  to  set  up  him- 


292  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

self  to  be  viewed  and  observed  as  one  distinguished,  as 
desiring  to  be  accounted  better  than  others,  or  despising 
their  company  or  a  union  and  conformity  to  them  ;  but 
on  the  contrary  is  disposed  to  become  all  things  to  all 
men,  and  to  yield  to  others,  and  to  conform  to  them  and 
please  them  in  every  thing  but  sin.  Spiritual  pride 
commonly  occasions  a  certain  stiffness  and  inflexibility  in 
persons,  in  their  own  judgment  and  their  own  ways ; 
whereas  the  eminently  humble  person,  though  he  be  in- 
flexible in  his  duty  and  in  those  things  wherein  God's 
honor  is  concerned ;  and  with  regard  to  temptation  to 
those  things  he  apprehends  to  be  sinful,  though  in  never  so 
small  a  degree,  he  is  not  at  all  of  a  yielding  spirit,  but  is 
like  a  brazen  wall ;  yet  in  other  things  he  is  of  a  pliable 
disposition,  not  disposed  to  set  up  his  own  opinion  or 
his  own  will ;  he  is  ready  to  pay  deference  to  others' 
opinions,  and  loves  to  comply  with  their  inclinations,  and 
has  a  heart  that  is  tender  and  flexible,  like  a  little  child. 
Spiritual  pride  disposes  persons  to  aflect  separation,  to 
stand  at  a  distance  from  others,  as  better  than  they,  and 
loves  the  show  and  appearance  of  the  distinction  :  but  on 
the  contrary,  the  eminently  humble  christian  is  ready  to 
look  upon  himself  as  not  worthy  that  others  should  be 
united  to  him,  to  think  himself  more  brutish  than  any 
man,  and  worthy  to  be  cast  out  of  human  society,  and 
especially  unworthy  of  the  society  of  God's  children  ; 
and  though  he  will  not  be  a  companion  with  one  that  is 
visibly  Christ's  enemy,  and  delights  most  in  the  company 
of  lively  christians,  and  will  choose  such  for  his  com- 
panions and  be  most  intimate  with  them,  and  does  not  at 
all  delight  to  spend  much  time  in  the  company  of  those 
that  seem   to  relish   no   conversation  but  about  worldly 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  293 

things  ;  yet  he  does  not  love  the  appearance  of  an  open 
separation  from  visible  christians,  as  being  a  kind  of  dis- 
tinct company  from  them  that  are  one  visible  company 
vv^ith  him  by  Christ's  appointment,  and  wrill  as  much  as 
possible  shun  all  appearance  of  a  superiority,  or  distin- 
guishing himself  as  better  than  others.  His  universal 
benevolence  delights  in  the  appearance  of  union  w^ith  his 
fellow-creatures,  and  will  maintain  it  as  much  as  he  pos- 
sibly can  without  giving  open  countenance  to  iniquity  or 
wounding  his  own  soul ;  and  herein  he  follows  the  ex- 
ample of  his  meek  and  lowly  Redeemer,  who  did  not 
keep  up  such  separation  and  distance  as  the  Pharisees,  but 
freely  ate  with  publicans  and  sinners,  that  he  might  win 
them. 

The  eminently  humble  christian  is  as  it  were  clothed 
with  lowliness,  mildness,  meekness,  gentleness  of  spirit 
and  behavior,  and  with  a  soft,  sweet,  condescending,  win- 
ning air  and  deportment ;  these  things  are  like  garments 
to  him,  he  is  clothed  all  over  with  them.  1  Peter,  5  :  5, 
*'  Be  clothed  with  humiUty."  Col.  3  :  12,  "  Put  on  there- 
fore, as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of 
mercies,  kindness,  humbleness  of  mind,  meekness,  long- 
suffering." 

Pure  christian  humility  has  no  such  thing  as  roughness 
or  contempt,  or  fierceness  or  bitterness  in  its  nature ;  it 
miakes  a  person  like  a  little  child,  harmless  and  innocent, 
and  that  none  need  to  be  afraid  of-;  or  like  a  lamb,  des- 
titute of  all  bitterness,  wrath,  anger  and  clamor,  agree- 
able to  Eph.  4  :  31. 

With  such  a  spirit  as  this  ought  especially  zealous 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  to  be  clothed,  and  those  that 
God  is  pleased  to  employ  as  instruments  in  his  hands  of 


294  THOUGHTS    Oi\    THE    REVIVAL. 

promoting  his  work.  They  ought  indeed  to  be  thorough 
in  preaching  the  word  of  God  without  mincing  the  mat- 
ter at  all ;  in  handling  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  as  the 
ministers  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  they  ought  not  to  be 
mild  and  gentle  ;  they  are  not  to  be  gentle  and  moderate 
in  searching  and  awakening  the  conscience,  but  should 
be  sons  of  thunder :  the  word  of  God,  which  is  in  itself 
sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  ought  not  to  be 
sheathed  by  its  ministers,  but  so  used  that  its  sharp  edges 
may  have  their  full  effect,  even  to  the  dividing  asunder 
of  soul  and  spirit,  joints  and  marrow,  (provided  they  do 
it  without  judging  particular  persons,  leaving  it  to  con- 
science and  the  Spirit  of  God  to  make  the  particular 
application;)  but  all  their  conversation  should  savor  of 
nothing  but  lowliness  and  good  will,  love  and  pity  to  all 
mankind;  so  that  such  a  spirit  should  be  like  a  sweet 
odor  diffused  around  them  wherever  they  go,  or  like  a 
light  shining  about  them ;  their  faces  should  as  it  were 
shine  with  it ;  they  should  be  like  lions  to  guilty  con- 
sciences, but  like  lambs  to  men's  persons. 

This  would  have  no  tendency  to  prevent  the  awaken- 
ing of  men's  consciences,  but  on  the  contrary  would  have 
a  very  great  tendency  to  awaken  them ;  it  would  make 
way  for  the  sharp  sword  to  enter ;  it  would  remove  the 
obstacles  and  make  a  naked  breast  for  the  arrow.  Yea, 
the  amiable,  Christ-like  conversation  of  such  ministers  in 
itself  would  terrify  the  consciences  of  men,  as  well  as 
their  terrible  preaching  ;  both  would  co-operate,  one  with 
the  other,  to  subdue  the  hard  and  bring  down  the  proud 
heart.  If  there  had  been  constantly  and  universally  ob- 
servable such  a  behavior  as  this  in  itinerant  preachers,  it 
would  have  terrified  the  consciences  of  sinners  ten  times 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  295 

as  much  as  all  the  invectives  and  the  censorious  talk  there 
has  been  concerning  particular  persons  for  their  opposi- 
tion, hypocrisy,  delusion  and  pharisaism.  These  things  in 
general  have  rather  stupified  sinners'  consciences :  they 
take  them  up  and  make  use  of  them  as  a  shield  where- 
with to  defend  themselves  from  the  sharp  arrows  of  the 
word  that  are  shot  by  these  preachers  :  the  enemies  of 
the  present  work  have  been  glad  of  these  things  with  all 
their  hearts.  Many  of  the  most  bitter  of  them  are  proba- 
bly such  as  in  the  beginning  of  this  work  had  their  con- 
sciences somewhat  galled  and  terrified  with  it ;  but  these 
errors  of  awakening  preachers  are  the  things  they  chiefly 
make  use  of  as  plasters  to  heal  the  sore  that  was  made  in 
their  consciences. 

Spiritual  pride  takes  gi'eat  notice  of  opposition  and  in- 
juries that  are  received,  and  is  apt  to  be  often  speaking 
of  them,  and  to  be  much  in  taking  notice  of  the  aggrava- 
tions of  them,  either  with  an  air  of  bitterness  or  contempt : 
whereas  pure  unmixed  christian  humility  disposes  a  per- 
son rather  to  be  like  his  blessed  Lord  when  reviled,  dumb, 
not  opening  his  mouth,  but  committing  himself  in  silence 
to  Him  that  judgeth  righteously.  The  eminently  humble 
christian,  the  more  clamorous  and  furious  the  world  is 
against  him  the  more  silent  and  still  will  he  be — unless 
it  be  in  his  closet,  and  there  he  will  not  be  still.  Our 
blessed  Lord  Jesus  seems  never  to  have  been  so  silent 
as  when  the  world  compassed  him  round,  reproaching, 
buffeting  and  spitting  upon  him,  with  loud  and  virulent 
outcries  and  horrid  cruelties. 

There  has  been  a  great  deal  too  much  talk  of  late  among 
many  of  the  true  and  zealous  friends  of  religion  about  op- 
position and  persecution.    It  becomes  the  followers  of  the 


296  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

Lamb  of  God,  w^hen  the  world  is  in  an  uproar  about  them 
and  full  of  clamor  against  them,  not  to  raise  another  noise 
to  ansv^er  it,  but  to  be  still  and  quiet :  it  is  not  beautiful 
at  such  a  time  to  have  pulpits  and  conversation  ring  with 
the  sound  persecution,  persecution,  or  with  abundant  talk 
about  pharisees,  carnal  persecutors,  and  the  seed  of  the 
serpent. 

Meekness  and  quietness  among  God's  people  when  op- 
posed and  reviled,  would  be  the  surest  way  to  have  God 
remarkably  appear  for  their  defence.  It  is  particularly 
observed  of  Moses,  on  the  occasion  of  Aaron  and  Miriam 
envying  him,  and  rising  up  in  opposition  against  him,  that 
he  was  very  meek,  above  all  men  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 
Num.  12  :  3.  Doubtless  because  he  remarkably  showed 
his  meekness  on  that  occasion,  being  wholly  silent  under 
the  abuse.  And  how  remarkable  is  the  account  that  fol- 
lows of  God's  being  as  it  were  suddenly  roused  to  appear 
for  his  vindication  !  And  what  high  honor  did  he  put  upon 
Moses  !  And  how  severe  were  his  rebukes  of  his  oppo- 
sers !  The  story  is  very  remarkable,  and  worth  every 
one's  observing.  Nothing  is  so  effectual  to  bring  God 
down  from  heaven  in  the  defence  of  his  people  as  their 
patience  and  meekness  under  sufferings.  When  Christ 
"  girds  his  sword  upon  his  thigh,  with  his  glory  and  ma- 
jesty, and  in  his  majesty  rides  prosperously,  his  right  hand 
teaching  him  terrible  things,  it  is  because  of  truth  and 
meekness  and  righteousness."  Psalm  45  :  3,  4.  *'  God  will 
cause  judgment  to  be  heard  from  heaven  ;  the  earth  shall 
fear  and  be  still,  and  God  will  arise  to  judgment,  to  save 
all  the  meek  of  the  earth:'  Psalm  76  :  8,  9.  "  He  will  lift 
up  the  meek,  and  cast  the  wicked  down  to  the  ground." 
Psalm  147  :  6.     "  He  will  reprove  with  equity,  for  tht 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  297 

meek  of  the  earth,  and  v/ill  srnite  the  earth  with  the  rod 
of  his  mouth,  and  with  the  breath  of  his  Ups  will  he  slay 
the  wicked."  Isaiah,  11  :  4. 

The  great  commendation  that  Christ  gives  the  church 
of  Philadelphia  is,  Thou  Jiast  kept  the  word  of  7ny  patience. 
Rev.  3  :  10.  And  we  may  see  what  reward  he  promises 
her  in  the  preceding  verse,  *'  Behold,  I  will  make  them 
of  the  synagogue  of  Satan,  which  say  they  are  Jews  and 
are  not,  but  do  lie ;  behold,  I  will  make  them  to  come 
and  worship  at  thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I  have  loved 
thee."  And  thus  it  is  that  we  might  expect  to  have 
Christ  appear  for  us,  if  under  all  reproaches  we  are  load- 
ed with,  we  behave  ourselves  with  a  lamb-like  meekness 
and  gentleness,  but  if  our  spirits  are  raised  and  we  are 
vehement  and  noisy  with  our  complaints  under  color  of 
(Siristian  zeal,  this  will  be  to  take  upon  us  our  own  de- 
fence, and  God  will  leave  it  with  us  to  vindicate  our 
cause  as  well  as  we  can :  yea,  if  we  go  on  in  a  way  of 
bitterness  and  high  censuring,  it  will  be  the  way  to  have 
him  rebuke  us,  and  put  us  to  shame  before  our  enemies. 

Here  some  may  be  ready  to  say,  **  It  is  not  in  our  own 
cause  that  we  are  thus  vehement,  but  it  is  in  the  cause 
of  God ;  and  the  apostle  directed  the  primitive  christians 
to  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the 
saints."  But  how  was  it  that  the  primitive  christians  con- 
tended earnestly  for  the  faith  %  They  defended  the  truth 
with  arguments  and  a  holy  conversation ;  but  yet  gave 
their  reasons  with  meekness  and  fear :  they  contended 
earnestly  for  the  faith  by  fighting  violently  against  their 
own  unbelief  and  the  corruptions  of  their  hearts,  yea, 
they  resisted  unto  blood,  striving  against  sin  ;  but  the 
olood  that  was  shed  in  this  earnest  strife  was  their  owt:- 

13* 


298  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

blood,  and  not  the  blood  of  their  enemies.  It  was  in  the 
cause  of  God  that  Peter  w^as  so  fierce,  and  drev^  his  sword, 
and  began  to  smite  with  it ;  but  Christ  bids  him  put  up 
his  sword  again,  telling  him  that  they  that  take  the  sword 
shall  perish  by  the  sword  ;  and  while  Peter  wounds  Christ 
heals.  They  contend  the  most  violently,  and  are  the 
greatest  conquerors  in  a  time  of  persecution,  who  bear 
it  with  the  greatest  meekness  and  patience. 

Great  humility  improves  even  the  reflections  and  re- 
proaches of  enemies  for  serious  self-examination,  whether 
there  be  not  some  just  cause,  whether  they  have  not  in 
some  respect  given  occasion  to  the  enemy  to  speak  re- 
proachfully :  whereas  spiritual  pride  improves  such  re- 
flections to  make  men  the  more  bold  and  confident,  and 
to  go  the  greater  lengths  in  that  for  which  they  are  found 
fault  with.  I  desire  it  may  be  considered  whether  there 
has  been  nothing  amiss  of  late  among  the  true  friends 
of  vital  piety  in  this  respect;  and  whether  the  words  of 
David,  when  reviled  by  Michal,  have  not  been  misinter- 
preted and  misapplied  to  justify  them  in  it,  when  he  said, 
"  I  will  be  yet  more  vile,  and  will  be  base  in  mine  own 
sight."  The  import  of  his  words  is,  that  he  would  humble 
himself  yet  more  before  God,  being  sensible  that  he  was 
far  from  being  sufficiently  abased  ;  and  he  signifies  this  to 
Michal,  and  that  he  longed  to  be  yet  lower,  and  had  de- 
signed already  to  abase  himself  more  in  his  behavior : 
not  that  he  would  go  the  greater  lengths  to  show  his  re- 
gardlessness  of  her  revilings  ;  that  would  be  to  exalt  him- 
self, and  not  more  to  abase  himself  as  more  vile  in  his 
own  sight. 

Another  effect  of  spiritual  pride  is  a  certain  unsuitable 
and  self-conjident  boldness  before  God  and  men.    Thus 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  299 

some  in  their  great  rejoicings  before  God  have  not  paid 
a  sufficient  regard  to  that  rule  in  Psalm  2  :  11.  They 
have  not  rejoiced  w^ith  a  reverential  trembling,  in  a  pro- 
per sense  of  the  awful  majesty  of  God  and  the  av^^ful  dis- 
tance between  God  and  them.  And  there  has  also  been 
an  improper  boldness  before  men,  that  has  been  encou- 
raged and  defended  by  a  misapplication  of  that  Scripture, 
Prov.  29  :  25,  "  The  fear  of  man  bringeth  a  snare ;"  as 
though  it  became  all  persons,  high  and  low,  men,  women 
and  children,  in  all  religious  conversation,  wholly  to  di- 
vest themselves  of  all  manner  of  shamefacedness,  modes- 
ty or  reverence  towards  man  ;  which  is  a  great  error,  and 
quite  contrary  to  Scripture. 

There  is  a  fear  of  reverence  that  is  due  to  some  men, 
Rom.  13  :  7,  "Fear,  to  whom  fear;  honor,  to  whom 
honor."  And  there  is  a  fear  of  modesty  and  shamefaced- 
ness in  inferiors  towards  superiors  that  is  amiable  and  re- 
quired by  christian  rules  :  1  Pet.  3:2,"  While  they  be- 
hold your  chaste  conversation,  coupled  with  fear;"  and 
1  Tim.  2:9,  *'  In  like  manner  also,  that  women  adorn 
themselves  in  modest  apparel,  with  shamefacedness  and 
sobriety."  And  the  apostle  means  that  this  virtue  shall 
have  place  not  only  in  civil  communication,  but  also  in 
spiritual  communication,  and  in  our  religious  concerns 
and  behavior,  as  is  evident  by  what  follows  :  "  Let  the 
woman  learn  in  silence,  with  all  subjection.  But  I  suffer 
not  a  woman  to  teach,  nor  to  usurp  authority  over  the 
man,  but  to  be  in  silence."  Not  that  I  would  hence  infer 
that  women's  mouths  should  be  shut  up  from  christian 
conversation  ;  but  all  that  I  mean  from  it  at  this  time  is, 
that  modesty  or  shamefacedness  and  reverence  towards 
men  ought   to   have    some  place   even  in  our  religious 


300  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

communication  one  with  another.  The  same  is  also  evi- 
dent by  1  Pet.  3  :  15,  "  Be  ready  alv^ays  to  give  an  an- 
swer to  every  man  that  asketh  you  a  reason  of  the  hope 
that  is  in  you,  with  meekness  and  fear."  It  is  well  if 
that  very  fear  and  shamefacedness  which  the  apostle  re- 
commends, has  not  been  sometimes  condemned  under 
the  name  of  a  cursed  fear  of  man. 

It  is  beautiful  for  persons  when  they  are  at  prayer,  as 
the  mouth  of  others,  to  make  God  only  their  fear  and 
their  dread,  and  to  be  wholly  forgetful  of  men  that  are 
present,  who,  let  them  be  great  or  small,  are  nothing  in 
the  presence  of  the  great  God.  And  it  is  beautiful  for  a 
minister,  when  he  speaks  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of 
hosts,  to  be  bold  and  put  off  all  fear  of  men.  And  it  is 
beautiful  in  private  christians,  though  they  are  women 
and  children,  to  be  bold  in  professing  the  faith  of  Christ, 
and  in  the  practice  of  all  religion,  and  in  owning  God's 
hand  in  the  work  of  his  power  and  grace,  without  any 
fear  of  men,  though  they  should  be  reproached  as  fools 
and  madmen,  and  frowned  upon  by  great  men,  and  cast 
off  by  parents  and  all  the  world.  But  for  private  chris- 
tians, women  and  others,  to  instruct,  rebuke  and  exhort 
with  the  same  kind  of  boldness  as  becomes  a  minister 
when  preaching,  is  not  beautiful. 

Some  have  been  bold  in  some  things  that  have  really 
been  errors  ;  and  have  gloried  in  their  boldness  in  prac- 
tising them,  though  condemned  as  odd  and  irregular. 
And  those  that  have  gone  the  greatest  lengths  in  these 
things  have  been  by  some  most  highly  esteemed,  as  those 
that  come  out  and  appear  bold  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
and  fully  on  his  side  ;  and  others  that  have  professed  to 
be  godly,  that  have  condemned  such  things,  have  been 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  301 

spoken  of  as  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  or  at  least 
very  cold  and  dead;  and  many  that  of  themselves  were  not 
inclined  to  such  practices,  have  by  this  means  been  driven 
on,  being  ashamed  to  be  behind  and  accounted  poor  sol- 
diers far  Christ. 

Another  effect  of  spiritual  pride  is  that  it  renders  men 
assuming :  it  oftentimes  makes  it  natural  to  persons  so 
to  act  and  speak  as  though  it  in  a  special  manner  be- 
longed to  them  to  be  taken  notice  of  and  much  regarded. 
It  is  very  natural  to  a  person  that  is  much  under  the  in- 
fluence of  spiritual  pride,  to  take  all  the  respect  that  is 
paid  him  :  if  others  show  a  disposition  to  submit  to  him 
and  yield  him  the  deference  of  a  preceptor,  he  is  open 
to  it  and  freely  admits  it ;  yea,  it  is  natural  for  him  to 
expect  such  treatment  and  to  take  much  notice  of  it  if 
he  fails  of  it,  and  to  have  an  ill  opinion  of  others  that  do 
not  pay  him  that  which  he  looks  upon  as  his  prerogative. 
He  is  apt  to  think  that  it  belongs  to  him  to  speak  and  to 
clothe  himself  with  a  judicial  and  dogmatical  air  in  con- 
versation, and  to  take  it  upon  him  as  what  belongs  to  him, 
to  give  forth  his  sentence  and  to  determine  and  decide  : 
whereas  christian  humility  vaunteth  not  itself,  doth  not 
behave  itself  unseemhj,  and  is  apt  to  jprefer  others  in  honor. 

One  under  the  influence  of  spiritual  pride  is  more  apt 
to  instruct  others  than  to  inquire  for  himself,  and  natural- 
ly puts  on  the  airs  of  a  master :  whereas  one  that  is  full 
of  pure  humility,  naturally  has  tlie  air  of  a  disciple ;  his 
voice  is,  "  What  shall  I  do  ]  What  shall  I  do  that  I  may 
live  more  to  God's  honor  1  What  shall  I  do  with  this 
wicked  heart  ?"  He  is  ready  to  receive  instruction  from 
any  body,  agreeably  to  James  1  :  19,  "Wherefore,  my  be- 
loved brethren,  let  every  man   be  swift   to  hear,  slow 


302  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

to  speak."  The  eminently  humble  christian  thinks  he 
wants  help  from  every  body,  v^hereas  he  that  is  spiritu- 
ally proud  thinks  that  every  body  wants  his  help.  Chris- 
tian humility,  under  a  sense  of  others*  misery,  entreats 
and  beseeches ;  spiritual  pride  affects  to  command  and 
warn  with  authority. 

There  ought  to  be  the  utmost  watchfulness  against  all 
such  appearances  of  spiritual  pride  in  all  that  profess  to 
have  been  the  subjects  of  this  work,  and  especially  in  the 
promoters  of  it,  but  above  all  in  itinerant  preachers  :  the 
most  eminent  gifts  and  highest  tokens  of  God's  favor  and 
blessing  will  not  excuse  them.  Alas  !  what  is  man  at  his 
best  estate  1  What  is  the  most  highly  favored  christian 
or  the  most  eminent  and  successful  minister,  that  he 
should  now  think  he  is  sufficient  for  something,  and  some- 
body to  be  regarded,  and  that  he  should  go  forth  and  act 
among  his  fellow-creatures  as  if  he  were  wise  and  strong 
and  good  ] 

Ministers  that  have  been  the  principal  instruments  of 
carrying  on  this  glorious  revival  of  religion,  and  that  God 
has  made  use  of  as  it  were  to  bring  up  his  people  out  of 
Egypt,  as  he  did  of  Moses,  should  take  heed  that  they 
do  not  provoke  God,  as  Moses  did,  by  assuming  too 
much  to  themselves,  and  by  their  intemperate  zeal  to 
shut  them  out  from  seeing  the  good  things  that  God  is 
going  to  do  for  his  church  in  this  world.  The  fruits  of 
Moses'  unbelief,  which  provoked  God  to  shut  him  out  of 
Canaan  and  not  to  suffer  him  to  partake  of  those  great 
things  God  was  about  to  do  for  Israel  on  earth,  were 
chiefly  these  two  things  : 

His  mingling  biUer?iess  with  his  zeal :  he  had  a  great 
zeal  for  God,  and  he  could  not  bear  to  see  the  intolera- 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  303 

ble  stifF-neckedness  of  the  people,  that  they  did  not  ac- 
knowledge the  work  of  God,  and  were  not  convmced  by- 
all  his  wonders  that  they  had  seen ;  but  human  passion 
was  mingled  with  his  zeal.  Psalm  106  :  32,  33,  "  They 
angered  him  also  at  the  waters  of  strife  ;  so  that  it  went 
ill  with  Moses  for  their  sakes  ;  because  they  provoked 
his  spirit,  so  that  he  spake  unadvisedly  with  his  lips." 
"  Hear  now,  ye  rebels,"  says  he,  with  bitterness  of  lan- 
guage. 

He  also  behaved  himself  and  spake  with  an  assuming 
air :  he  assumed  too  much  to  himself:  Hear  now,  yerehels^ 
must  WE  fetch  water  out  of  this  rock  ?  Spiritual  pride 
wrought  in  Moses  at  that  time :  his  temptations  to  it 
were  very  great,  for  he  had  had  great  discoveries  of  God, 
and  had  been  privileged  with  intimate  and  sweet  com- 
munion with  him,  and  God  had  made  him  the  instrument 
of  great  good  to  his  church ;  and  though  he  v/as  so  hum- 
ble a  person,  and,  by  God's  own  testimony,  meek  above 
all  men  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  yet  his  tempta- 
tions were  too  strong  for  him  :  which  surely  should  make 
our  young  ministers  that  have  of  late  been  highly  fa- 
vored and  have  had  great  success,  exceeding  careful  and 
distrustful  of  themselves.  Alas !  how  far  are  we  from 
having  the  strength  of  holy,  meek,  aged  Moses ! 

The  temptation  at  this  day  is  exceeding  great  to  both 
those  errors  that  Moses  was  guilty  of;  there  is  great 
temptation  to  bitterness  and  corrupt  passion  with  zeal ; 
for  there  is  so  much  unreasonable  opposition  made 
against  this  glorious  work  of  God,  and  so  much  stifT- 
neckedness  manifested  in  multitudes  of  this  generation, 
notwithstanding  all  the  great  and  wonderful  works  in 
which  God  has  passed  before  them,  that  it  greatly  tends 


304  THOUGHTS  ON   THE    REVIVAL. 

to  provoke  the  spirits  of  such  as  have  the  interest  of  this 
vvork  at  heart,  so  as  to  move  them  to  speak  unadvisedly 
w^ith  their  lips. 

And  there  is  also  great  temptation  to  an  assumirig  be- 
havior in  some  persons.  When  a  minister  is  greatly  suc- 
ceeded from  time  to  time,  and  so  draw^s  the  eyes  of  the 
multitude  upon  him,  and  he  sees  himself  flocked  after 
and  resorted  to  as  an  oracle,  and  people  are  ready  to 
adore  him  and  to  offer  sacrifice  to  him,  as  it  was  with 
Paul  and  Barnabas  at  Lystra,  it  is  almost  impossible  for 
a  man  to  avoid  taking  upon  him  the  airs  of  a  master  or 
some  extraordinary  person  :  a  man  had  need  to  have  a 
gi'eat  stock  of  humility  and  much  divine  assistance  to 
resist  the  temptation.  But  the  greater  our  dangers  are 
the  more  ought  to  be  our  watchfulness  and  prayerful- 
ness  and  diffidence  of  ourselves,  lest  we  bring  ourselves 
into  mischief.  Fishermen  that  have  been  very  successful 
and  have  caught  a  great  many  fish,  had  need  to  be  care- 
ful that  they  do  not  at  length  begin  to  burn  incense  to 
their  net.  And  we  should  take  warning  by  Gideon,  who, 
after  God  had  highly  favored  and  exalted  him  and  made 
him  the  instrument  of  working  a  wonderful  deliverance 
for  his  people,  at  length  made  a  god  of  the  spoils  of  his 
enemies,  which  became  a  snare  to  him  and  to  his  house, 
so  as  to  prove  the  ruin  of  his  family. 

All  young  ministers  in  this  day  of  bringing  up  the  ark 
of  God  should  take  warning  by  the  example  of  a  young 
Levite  in  Israel,  Uzzah  the  son  of  Abinadab.  He  seemed 
to  have  a  real  concern  for  the  ark  of  God,  and  to  be 
zealous  and  engaged  in  his  mind  on  that  joyful  occasion 
of  bringing  up  the  ark,  and  God  made  him  an  instru- 
ment to  bring  the  ark  out  of  its  long-continued  obscurity 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  305 

in  Kirjathjearim,  and  he  was  succeeded  to  bring  it  a  con- 
siderable way  towards  mount  Zion ;  but  for  his  want  of 
humility,  reverence  and  circumspection,  and  assuming 
to  himself,  or  taking  too  much  upon  him,  God  broke  forth 
upon  him  and  smote  him  for  his  error,  so  that  he  never 
lived  to  see  and  partake  of  the  great  joy  of  his  church 
on  occasion  of  the  carrying  up  the  ark  into  mount  Zion, 
and  the  great  blessings  of  heaven  upon  Israel  that  were 
consequent  upon  it.  Ministers  that  have  been  employed 
to  carry  on  this  work  have  been  chiefly  the  younger, 
who  have  doubtless  (as  Uzzah  had)  a  real  concern  for 
the  ark ;  and  it  is  evident  that  they  are  much  animated 
and  engaged  in  their  minds  (as  he  was)  in  this  joyful 
day  of  bringing  up  the  ark ;  and  they  are  afraid  what 
will  become  of  the  ark  under  the  conduct  of  its  minis- 
ters (that are  sometimes  in  Scripture  compared  to  oxen;) 
they  see  the  ark  shakes,  and  they  are  afraid  these  blun- 
dering oxen  will  throw  it ;  and  some  of  them  it  is  to  be 
feared  have  been  over-officious  on  this  occasion,  and  have 
assumed  too  much  to  themselves,  and  have  been  bold  to 
put  forth  their  hand  to  take  hold  of  the  ark,  as  though 
they  were  the  only  fit  and  worthy  persons  to  defend  it. 
If  young  ministers  had  great  humility  without  a  mix- 
ture, it  would  dispose  them  especially  to  treat  aged  min- 
isters with  respect  and  reverence  as  their  fathers,  not- 
withstanding that  a  sovereign  God  may  have  given  them 
greater  assistance  and  success  than  the  fathers  have  had. 
1  Pet.  5:5,"  Likewise,  ye  younger,  submit  yourselves 
unto  the  elder ;  yea,  all  of  you,  be  subject  one  to  ano- 
ther ;  and  be  clothed  with  humility  ;  for  God  resisteth 
the  proud,  and  giveth  grace  to  the  humble."  Lev.  19  : 
32,  "  Thou  shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary  head,  and  ho> 


306  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

nor  the  face  of  the  old  man,  and  fear  thy  God ;  1  am 
the  Lord." 

As  spiritual  pride  disposes  persons  to  assume  much. 
to  themselves,  so  it  also  disposes  them  to  treat  others 
with  7ieglect:  on  the  contrary,  pure  christian  humility 
disposes  persons  to  honor  all  men,  agi-eeably  to  that 
rule,  1  Pet.  2  :  17, 

There  has  been  in  some  that  I  believe  are  true  friends 
of  religion,  too  much  of  an  appearance  of  this  fruit  of 
spiritual  pride  in  their  treatment  of  those  that  they 
looked  upon  to  be  carnal  men ;  and  particularly  in  re- 
fusing to  enter  into  any  discourse  or  reasoning  with  them. 
Indeed  to  spend  a  great  deal  of  time  in  jangling  and 
w^arm  debates  about  religion,  is  not  the  way  to  propagate 
religion,  but  to  hinder  it :  and  some  are  so  dreadfully  set 
against  this  work  that  it  is  a  dismal  task  to  dispute  with 
them,  all  that  one  can  say  is  utterly  in  vain  :  T  have  found 
it  so  by  experience ;  and  to  go  to  enter  into  disputes 
about  religion  at  some  times  is  quite  unseasonable,  as 
particularly  in  meetings  for  religious  conference  or  exer- 
cises of  worship.  But  yet  we  ought  to  be  very  careful 
that  we  do  not  refuse  to  discourse  with  men  with  any 
appearance  of  a  supercilious  neglect,  as  though  we 
counted  them  not  worthy  to  be  regarded  ;  on  the  contra- 
ry, we  should  condescend  to  carnal  men  as  Christ  has  con- 
descended to  us,  to  bear  with  our  unteachableness  and 
stupidity,  and  still  to  follow  us  with  instructions,  line 
upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept,  saying,  "  Come  let 
us  reason  together;"  setting  light  before  us,  and  using  all 
manner  of  arguments  with  us,  and  waiting  upon  such  dull 
scholars  as  it  were  hoping  that  we  should  receive  light. 

We  should   be  ready  with  meekness    and   calmness. 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  307^ 

without  hot  disputing,  to  give  our  reasons  why  we  think 
this  work  is  the  work  of  God,  to  carnal  men  when  they 
ask  us,  and  not  turn  them  by  as  not  worthy  to  be  talked 
with ;  as  the  apostle  directed  the  primitive  christians  to 
be  ready  to  give  a  reason  of  the  christian  faith  and  hope 
to  the  enemies  of  Christianity :  1  Pet.  3  :  15,  **  Be  ready 
always  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man  that  asketh  you  a 
reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  you,  with  meekness  and 
fear."  And  we  ought  not  to  condemn  all  reasoning  about 
things  of  religion  under  the  name  of  carnal  reason.  For 
my  part  I  desire  no  better  than  that  those  that  oppose 
this  work  should  come  fairly  to  submit  to  have  the  cause 
betwixt  us  tried  by  strict  reasoning. 

One  qualification  that  the  Scripture  speaks  of  once  and 
again  as  requisite  in  a  minister  is,  that  he  should  be 
hSdLKTiKuzy  apt  to  teach,  1  Tim.  3  :  2.  And  the  apostle  seems 
to  explain  what  he  means  by  it  in  2  Tim.  2  :  24,  25 ; 
or  at  least  he  there  expresses  one  thing  he  intends  by  it, 
that  a  minister  should  be  ready  meekly  to  condescend  to 
and  instruct  opposers.  "  And  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
must  not  strive,  but  be  gentle  unto  all  men,  apt  to  teach, 
patient,  in  meekness  instructing  those  that  oppose  them- 
selves, if  God  peradventure  will  give  them  repentance, 
to  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth." 

4.  hifluence  of  wrong  principles — Claims  to  immediate  reve- 
lation— Incorrect  views  of  the  prayer  of  faith. 

A  second  source  from  which  errors  in  conduct  that 
attend  such  a  revival  in  religion  arise,  is  wrong  principles. 

And  one  erroneous  principle,  than  which  scarcely  any 
has  proved  more  mischievous  to  the  present  glorious 
work  of  God,  is  a  notion  that  it  is  God's  manner,  now  in 


308  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

these  days,  to  guide  his  saints,  at  least  some  that  are 
more  eminent,  by  inspiration  or  immediate  revelation,  and 
to  make  known  to  them  w^hat  shall  come  to  pass  hereaf- 
ter, or  what  it  is  his  will  that  they  should  do,  by  impres- 
sions that  he  by  his  Spirit  makes  upon  their  minds,  either 
with  or  without  texts  of  Scripture  ;  whereby  something  is 
made  known  to  them  that  is  not  taught  in  the  Scripture 
as  the  words  lie  in  the  Bible.  By  such  a  notion  the  devil 
has  a  great  door  open  for  him ;  and  if  once  this  opinion 
should  come  to  be  fully  yielded  to,  and  established  in  the 
church  of  God,  Satan  would  have  an  opportunity  there- 
by to  set  up  himself  as  the  guide  and  oracle  of  God's 
people,  and  to  have  his  word  regarded  as  their  infallible 
rule,  and  so  to  lead  them  where  he  would,  and  to  intro- 
duce what  he  pleased,  and  soon  to  bring  the  Bible  into 
neglect  and  contempt.  Late  experience  in  some  in- 
stances has  shown  that  the  tendency  of  this  notion  is  to 
cause  persons  to  esteem  the  Bible  as  a  book  that  is  in  a 
great  measure  useless. 

This  error  will  defend  and  support  all  errors.  As  long 
as  a  person  has  a  notion  that  he  is  guided  by  immediate 
direction  from  heaven,  it  makes  him  incorrigible  and  im- 
pregnable in  all  his  misconduct :  for  what  signifies  it  for 
poor  blind  worms  of  the  dust  to  go  to  argue  with  a  man, 
and  endeavor  to  convince  him  and  correct  him,  that  is 
guided  by  the  immediate  counsels  and  commands  of  the 
great  Jehovah  ] 

This  great  work  of  God  has  been  exceedingly  hindered 
by  this  error  ;  and  until  we  have  quite  taken  this  handle 
out  of  the  devil's  hands  the  work  of  God  will  never  go 
on  without  great  clogs  and  hinderances.  But  Satan  will 
always  have  a  vast  advantage  in  his  hands  against  it,  and 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  309 

as  he  has  improved  it  hitherto,  so  he  will  do  still :  and  it 
is  evident  that  the  devil  knows  the  vast  advantage  he  has 
by  it  that  makes  him  exceeding  loth  to  let  go  his  hold. 

It  is  strange  what  a  disposition  there  is  in  many  well- 
disposed  and  religious  persons  to  fall  in  with  and  hold 
fast  this  notion.  It  is  enough  to  astonish  one  that  such 
multiplied  plain  instances  of  the  failing  of  such  supposed 
revelations  in  the  event  do  not  open  every  one's  eyes.  I 
have  seen  so  many  instances  of  the  failing  of  such  im- 
pressions that  they  would  almost  furnish  a  history :  I 
have  been  acquainted  with  them  when  made  under  all 
kinds  of  circumstances,  and  have  seen  them  fail  in  the 
event,  when  made  with  such  circumstances  as  have  been 
fairest  and  brightest  and  most  promising :  as  when  they 
have  been  made  upon  the  minds  of  such  as  there  was  all 
reason  to  think  were  true  saints,  yea,  eminent  saints,  and 
at  the  very  time  when  they  have  had  great  divine  dis- 
coveries, and  have  been  in  the  high  exercise  of  true  com- 
munion with  God,  and  made  with  great  strength  and  with 
great  sweetness  accompanying,  and  I  have  had  reason  to 
think,  with  an  excellent  heavenly  frame  of  spirit  yet  con- 
tinued, and  made  with  texts  of  Scripture  that  seemed  to 
be  exceeding  apposite,  yea,  many  texts  following  one 
another,  extraordinarily  and  wonderfully  brought  to  the 
mind,  and  with  great  power  and  majesty,  and  the  imjDres- 
sions  repeated  over  and  over,  after  prayer  to  be  directed; 
and  yet  all  has  most  manifestly  come  to  nothing,  to  the 
full  conviction  of  the  persons  themselves.  And  God  has 
in  so  many  instances  of  late  in  his  providence  covered 
such  things  with  darkness,  that  one  would  think  it  should 
be  enough  quite  to  blank  the  expectations  of  such  as  have 
been  ready  to  think  highly  of  such  things  :  it  seems  to  be 


1310  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

a  testimony  of  God  that  he  has  no  design  of  reviving 
revelations  in  his  church,  and  a  rebuke  from  him  to  the 
groundless  expectations  of  it. 

It  seems  to  me  that  scripture,  Zech.  13  :  5,  is  a  pro- 
phecy concerning  ministers  of  the  Gospel  in  the  latter 
and  glorious  day  of  the  christian  church,  which  is  evi- 
dently spoken  of  in  this  and  the  foregoing  chapters  :  "I 
am  no  prophet ;  I  am  a  husbandman ;  for  man  taught  me 
to  keep  cattle  from  my  youth."  The  words  I  apprehend 
are  to  be  interpreted  in  a  spiritual  sense  :  I  am  a  hus- 
handman  ;  the  work  of  ministers  is  very  often  in  the  New 
Testament  compared  to  the  business  of  husbandmen  that 
take  care  of  God's  husbandry,  to  whom  he  lets  out  his 
vineyard  and  sends  them  forth  to  labor  in  his  field,  where 
one  plants  and  another  waters,  one  sows  and  another 
reaps ;  so  ministers  are  called  laborers  in  God's  harvest. 
And  as  it  is  added,  Man  taught  me  to  keep  cattle  from  my 
youth  ;  so  the  work  of  a  minister  is  very  often  in  Scrip- 
ture represented  by  the  business  of  a  shepherd  or  pastor. 
And  whereas  it  is  said,  1  am  no  prophet ;  hut  man  taught 
me  from  my  youth  ;  it  is  as  much  as  to  say,  I  do  not  pre- 
tend to  have  received  my  skill  whereby  I  am  fitted  for 
the  business  of  a  pastor  or  shepherd  in  the  church  of 
God  by  immediate  inspiration,  but  by  education,  by 
being  trained  up  to  the  business  by  human  learning,  and 
instructions  I  have  received  from  my  youth  or  childhood 
by  ordinary  means. 

And  why  cannot  we  be  contented  with  the  divine  ora- 
cles, that  holy,  pure  word  of  God  which  we  have  in  such 
abundance,  and  such  clearness  now  since  the  canon  of 
Scripture  is  completed  ?  Why  should  we  desire  to  have 
any  thing  added  to  them  by  impulses  from  above  %  Why 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  311 

should  not  we  rest  in  that  standing  rule  that  God  has 
given  to  his  church,  w^hich  the  apostle  teaches  us  is  surer 
than  a  voice  from  heaven  1  And  why  should  we  desire 
to  make  the  Scripture  speak  more  to  us  than  it  does  '?  Or 
why  should  any  desire  any  higher  kind  of  intercourse 
with  heaven  than  that  which  is  by  having  the  Holy  Spirit 
given  in  his  sanctifying  influences,  infusing  and  exciting 
grace  and  holiness,  love  and  joy,  which  is  the  highest 
kind  of  intercourse  that  the  saints  and  angels  in  heaven 
have  with  God,  and  the  chief  excellency  of  the  glorified 
man  Christ  Jesus  1 

Some  that  follow  impulses  and  impressions  go  away 
with  a  notion  that  they  do  no  other  than  follow  the 
guidance  of  God's  word  and  make  the  Scripture  their 
rule,  because  the  impression  is  made  tvitJi  a  text  of  Scrip- 
ture that  comes  to  their  mind,  though  they  take  that  text 
as  it  is  impressed  on  their  minds,  and  improve  it  as  a 
new  revelation  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  or  as  the  re- 
velation of  a  particular  thing  that  is  now  newly  made, 
while  the  text  in  itself,  as  it  is  in  the  Bible,  implies  no 
such  thing,  and  they  themselves  do  not  suppose  that  any 
such  revelation  was  contained  in  it  before. 

For  instance,  suppose  that  text  should  come  into  a 
person's  mind  with  strong  impression.  Acts,  9:6,  **  Arise 
and  go  into  the  city ;  and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou 
must  do  ;"  and  he  should  interpret  it  as  an  immediate 
siijnification  of  the  will  of  God  that  he  should  now  forth- 
with  go  to  such  a  neighboring  town,  and  as  a  revelation 
of  the  future  event,  that  there  he  should  meet  with  a  fur- 
ther discovery  of  his  duty.  If  such  things  as  these  are 
revealed  by  the  impression  of  these  words,  it  is  to  all 
intents   a  new   revelation,  not  the  less  because  certain 


312  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

w^ords  of  Scripture  are  made  use  of  in  the  case  :  here 
are  propositions  or  truths  entirely  new  that  are  sup- 
posed now  to  be  revealed,  which  those  words  do  not 
contain  in  themselves,  and  which  till  now  there  was  no 
revelation  of  any  where  to  be  found  in  heaven  or  earth. 
These  propositions,  that  it  is  God's  mind  and  will  that 
such  a  person  by  name  should  arise  at  such  a  time  and 
go  from  such  a  place  to  such  a  place,  and  that  there  he 
should  meet  with  discoveries,  are  entirely  new  proposi- 
tions, wholly  different  from  the  propositions  contained  in 
that  text  of  Scripture  :  they  are  no  more  contained,  or 
consequentially  implied  in  the  words  themselves,  with- 
out a  new  revelation,  than  it  is  implied  that  he  should 
arise  and  go  to  any  other  place,  or  that  any  other  person 
should  arise  and  go  to  that  place.  The  propositions  sup- 
posed to  be  now  revealed  are  as  really  different  from 
those  contained  in  that  Scripture  as  they  are  from  the 
propositions  contained  in  that  text,  Gen.  5:6:  "  And 
Seth  lived  a  hundred  and  five  years,  and  begat  Enos." 

This  is  quite  a  different  thing  from  the  Spirit's  enlight- 
ening the  mind  to  understand  the  precepts  or  proposi- 
tions of  the  word  of  God,  and  know  what  is  contained 
and  revealed  in  them,  and  what  consequences  may  justly 
be  drawn  from  them,  and  to  see  how  they  are  applicable 
to  our  case  and  circumstances  ;  which  is  done  without 
any  new  revelation,  only  by  enabling  the  mind  to  under- 
stand and  apply  a  revelation  already  made. 

Those  texts  of  Scripture  that  speak  of  the  children  of 
God  as  led  hy  the  Spirit,  have  been  by  some  brought  to 
defend  a  being  guided  by  such  impulses  :  as  particularly 
those,  Rom.  8  :  14,  "  For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spi- 
rit of  God,  they  are  the  sons  of  God;"  and  Gal.  5  ;  18, 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  313 

"  But  if  ye  are  led  by  the  Spirit,  ye  are  not  under  the 
law."  But  these  texts  themselves  confute  them  that  bring 
them,  for  it  is  evident  that  the  leading  of  the  Spirit  v^hich 
the  apostle  speaks  of,  is  a  gracious  leading,  or  w^hat  is 
peculiar  to  the  children  of  God,  and  that  natural  men 
cannot  have,  for  he  speaks  of  it  as  a  sure  evidence  of 
their  being  the  sons  of  God  and  not  under  the  law.  But 
a  leading  or  directing  a  person,  by  immediately  revealing 
to  him  where  he  should  go,  or  what  shall  hereafter  come 
to  pass,  or  what  shall  be  the  future  consequence  of  his 
doing  thus  or  thus,  if  there  be  any  such  thing  in  these 
days,  is  not  of  the  nature  of  the  gracious  leading  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  that  is  peculiar  to  God's  children ;  it  is 
no  more  than  a  common  gift ;  there  is  nothing  in  it  but 
what  natural  men  are  capable  of;  and  many  of  them 
have  had  in  the  days  of  inspiration.  A  man  may  have 
ten  thousand  such  revelations  and  directions  from  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  yet  not  have  a  jot  of  grace  in  his 
heart ;  it  is  no  more  than  the  gift  of  prophecy  which  im- 
mediately reveals  what  will  be  or  should  be  hereafter, 
and  which  is  but  a  common  gift,  as  the  apostle  expressly 
shows,  1  Cor.  13  :  2,  8. 

If  a  person  has  any  thing  revealed  to  him  from  God, 
or  is  directed  to  any  thing  by  a  voice  from  heaven,  or  a 
whisper,  or  words  immediately  suggested  and  put  into 
his  mind,  there  is  nothing  of  the  nature  of  grace  merely 
in  this  ;  it  is  of  the  nature  of  a  cornmon  influence  of  the 
Spirit,  and  is  but  dross  in  comparison  of  the  excellency 
of  that  gracious  leading  of  the  Spirit  that  the  saints  have. 
Such  a  way  of  being  directed  where  one  shall  go,  and 
what  he  shall  do,  is  no  more  than  what  Balaam  had  from 
God,  who  from  time  to  time  revealed  to  him  what  he 

Revival  of  Rcl.  14 


314  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

should  do,  and  w^hen  he  had  done  one  thing,  then  direct- 
ed him  what  he  should  do  next ;  so  that  he  vras  in  this 
sense  led  by  the  Spirit  for  a  considerable  time.  There  is 
a  more  excellent  way  in  which  the  Spirit  of  God  leads  the 
sons  of  God  that  natural  men  cannot  have,  and  that  is  by 
inclining  them  to  do  the  will  of  God,  and  go  in  the  shining 
path  of  truth  and  christian  holiness  from  a  holy  heavenly 
disposition,  which  the  Spirit  of  God  gives  them  and  enliv- 
ens in  them,  which  inclines  them  and  leads  them  to  those 
things  that  are  excellent  and  agreeable  to  God's  mind, 
whereby  they  are  transfmmed  hy  the  renewing  of  their 
minds f  and  'prove  what  is  that  good^  and  oxceytahle,  and  per- 
fect will  of  God,  as  in  Rom.  12  :  2. 

Thus  the  Spirit  of  God  does,  in  a  gracious  manner, 
teach  the  saints  their  duty ;  and  teaches  them  in  a  higher 
manner  than  ever  Balaam,  or  Saul,  or  Judas  were  taught, 
or  any  natural  man  is  capable  of  while  such.  The  Spirit 
of  God  enlightens  them  with  respect  to  their  duty,  by 
making  their  eye  single  and  pure,  whereby  the  whole 
body  is  full  of  light.  The  sanctifying  influences  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  rectify  the  taste  of  the  soul,  whereby  it  sa- 
vors those  things  that  are  of  God,  and  naturally  relishes 
and  delights  in  those  things  that  are  holy  and  agreeable 
to  God's  mind,  and  like  one  of  a  distinguishing  taste, 
chooses  those  things  that  are  good  and  wholesome,  and 
rejects  those  things  that  are  evil ;  for  the  sanctified  ear 
tries  words,  and  the  sanctified  heart  tries  actions  as  the 
mouth  tastes  meat.  And  thus  the  Spirit  of  God  leads  and 
guides  the  meek  in  his  way  agreeably  to  his  promises ; 
he  enables  them  to  understand  the  commands  and  coun- 
sels of  his  word,  and  rightly  to  apply  them.  Christ  blames 
the  Pharisees  that  they  had  not  this  holy  distinguishing 


THINGS     TO    BE    AVOIDED.  315 

taste  to  discern  and  distinguish  what  was  right  and  wrong. 
Luke,  12  :  57,  "  Yea,  and  why,  even  of  your  own  selves, 
judge  ye  not  what  is  right  1" 

The  leading  of  the  Spirit  which  God  gives  his  children, 
which  is  peculiar  to  them,  is  that  teaching  them  his  sta- 
tutes, and  causing  them  to  understand  the  way  of  his  pre- 
cepts, which  the  Psalmist  so  very  often  prays  for,  espe- 
cially in  the  119th  Psalm  ;  and  not  giving  them  riew  sta- 
tutes and  neio  precepts  :  he  graciously  gives  them  eyes  to 
see,  and  ears  to  hear,  and  hearts  to  understand ;  he  caus- 
es them  to  understand  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  so  brings 
the  blind  by  a  way  they  knew  not,  and  leads  them  in  paths 
that  they  had  not  known,  and  makes  darkness  light  be- 
fore them,  and  crooked  things  straight. 

So  the  assistance  of  the  Spirit  in  praying  and  preach- 
ing seems  by  some  to  have  been  greatly  misunderstood, 
and  they  have  sought  after  a  miraculous  assistance  of  in- 
spiration by  the  immediate  suggestion  of  words  to  them, 
by  such  gifts  and  influences  of  the  Spirit  in  praying  and 
teaching  as  the  apostle  speaks  of,  1  Cor.  14  :  14,  26, 
(which  many  natural  men  had  in  those  days,)  instead  of 
a  gracious  holy  assistance  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which  is 
the  far  more  excellent  way,  as  1  Cor.  12  :  31,  and  13  :  1. 
The  gracious  and  most  excellent  kind  of  assistance  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  praying  and  preaching,  is  not  by  imme- 
diate suggesting  of  words  to  the  apprehension,  which  may 
be  with  a  cold  dead  heart,  but  by  warming  the  heart  and 
filling  it  with  a  great  sense  of  those  things  that  are  to  be 
spoken  of,  and  with  holy  aflections  that  that  sense  and  those 
affections  may  suggest  words.  Thus  indeed  the  Spirit  of 
God  may  be  said  indirectly  and  mediately  to  suggest  words 
to  us,  to  indite  our  petitions  for    us,  and   to   teach  the 


316  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

preacher  v^^hat  to  say  ;  he  fills  the  heart,  and  that  fills  the 
mouth :  as  we  know  that  w^hen  men  are  greatly  affected 
in  any  matter,  and  their  hearts  are  very  full,  it  fills  them 
with  matter  for  speech,  and  makes  them  eloquent  upon 
that  subject;  and  much  more  have  spiritual  affections 
this  tendency,  for  many  reasons  that  might  be  given. 

When  a  person  is  in  a  holy  and  lively  frame  in  secret 
prayer,  it  will  wonderfully  supply  him  with  matter  and  with 
expressions,  as  every  true  christian  knows  ;  and  so  it  will 
fill  his  mouth  in  christian  conversation,  and  it  has  the  like 
tendency  to  assist  a  person  in  public  prayer  and  preach- 
ing. And  if  he  has  these  holy  influences  of  the  Spirit 
on  his  heart  in  a  high  degree,  nothing  in  the  world  will 
have  so  great  a  tendency  to  make  both  the  matter  and 
manner  of  his  public  performances  excellent  and  profita- 
ble. But  since  there  is  no  immediate  suggesting  of  words 
from  the  Spirit  of  God  to  be  expected  or  desired,  they 
who  neglect  and  despise  study  and  premeditation,  in  or- 
der to  a  preparation  for  the  pulpit,  in  such  an  expecta- 
tion are  guilty  of  presumption  ;  though  doubtless  it  may 
be  lawful  for  some  persons  in  some  cases  (and  they  may 
be  called  to  it)  to  preach  with  very  little  study,  and 
the  Spirit  of  God,  by  the  heavenly  frame  of  heart  that  he 
gives  them,  may  enable  them  to  do  it  to  excellent  pur- 
pose. Besides  this  most  excellent  way  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  assisting  ministers  in  public  performances,  which 
(considered  as  the  preacher's  privilege)  far  excels  inspi- 
ration, there  is  a  common  assistance  which  natural  men 
may  have  in  these  days,  and  which  the  godly  may  have 
intermingled  with  a  gracious  assistance,  which  is  also 
very  different  from  inspiration,  and  that  is  his  assisting 
natural  principles,  as  his  assisting  the  natural  apprehen- 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  317 

sion,  reason,  memory,  conscience,  and  natural  affection. 

But  to  return  to  the  head  of  impressions  and  immediate 
revelations  :  many  lay  themselves  open  to  a  delusion,  by 
expecting  direction  from  heaven  in  this  w^ay,  and  waiting 
for  it ;  in  such  a  case  it  is  easy  for  persons  to  imagine  that 
they  have  it.  They  are  perhaps  at  a  loss  concerning  some- 
thing, undetermined  w^hat  they  shall  do,  or  what  course 
they  should  take  in  some  affair,  and  they  pray  to  God  to 
direct  them,  and  make  known  to  them  his  mind  and  will; 
and  then  instead  of  expecting  to  be  directed,  by  being 
assisted  in  consideration  of  the  rules  of  God's  word,  and 
their  circumstances,  and  God's  providence,  and  to  be  en- 
abled to  look  on  things  in  a  true  light,  and  justly  to  weigh 
them,  they  are  waiting  for  some  secret  immediate  influ- 
ence on  their  minds,  unaccountably  swaying  their  minds 
and  turning  their  thoughts  or  inclinations  that  way  that 
God  would  have  them  go,  and  are  observing  their  own 
minds  to  see  what  arises  there,  whether  some  texts  of 
Scripture  do  not  come  into  the  mind,  or  whether  some 
ideas  or  inward  motions  and  dispositions  do  not  arise  in 
something  of  an  unaccountable  manner  that  they  may 
call  a  divine  direction.  Hereby  they  are  exposed  to  two 
tilings  : 

They  lay  themselves  open  to  the  devil,  and  give  him  a 
fair  opportunity  to  lead  them  where  he  pleases;  for  they 
stand  ready  to  follow  the  first  extraordinary  impulse 
that  they  shall  have,  groundlessly  concluding  it  is  from 
God. 

And  they  are  greatly  exposed  to  be  deceived  hy  their 
own  imaginations  ;  for  such  an  expectation  awakens  and 
quickens  the  imagination  ;  and  that  oftentimes  is  called 
an  uncommon  impression,  that  is  no  such  thing ;  and  they 


318  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

ascribe  that  to  the  agency  of  some  invisible  being,  that  is 
owing  only  to  themselves. 

Again,  another  v^^ay  that  many  have  been  deceived  is, 
by  drawing  false  conclusions  from  true  'premises.  Many 
true  and  eminent  saints  have  been  led  into  mistakes  and 
snares  by  arguing  too  much  from  this,  namely,  that  they 
have  prayed  in  faith,  and  that  oftentimes  when  the  pre- 
mises are  true  :  they  have  indeed  been  greatly  assisted 
in  prayer  for  such  a  particular  mercy,  and  have  had  the 
true  spirit  of  prayer  in  exercise  in  their  asking  it  of  God ; 
but  they  have  concluded  more  from  these  premises  than 
is  a  just  consequence  from  them.  That  they  have  thus 
prayed  is  a  sure  sign  that  their  prayer  is  accepted  and 
heard,  and  that  God  will  give  a  gracious  answer  accord- 
ing to  his  own  wisdom,  and  that  the  particular  thing  that 
was  asked  shall  be  given,  or  that  which  is  equivalent :  this 
is  a  just  consequence  from  it;  but  it  is  not  inferred  by 
any  new  revelation  now  made,  but  by  the  revelation  that 
is  made  in  God's  word,  the  promises  made  to  the  prayer 
of  faith  in  the  holy  Scriptures.  But  that  God  will  an- 
swer them  in  that  individual  thing  that  they  ask,  if  it  be 
not  a  thing  promised  in  God's  word,  or  they  do  not  cer- 
tainly know  that  it  is  that  which  will  be  most  for  the  good 
of  God's  church  and  the  advancement  of  Christ's  king- 
dom and  glory,  nor  whether  it  will  be  best  for  them,  is 
more  than  can  be  justly  concluded  from  it. 

If  God  remarkably  meets  one  of  his  children  while  he 
is  praying  for  a  particular  mercy  of  great  importance  for 
himself  or  some  other  person,  or  any  society  of  men,  and 
does  by  the  influences  of  his  Spirit  greatly  humble  him, 
and  empty  him  of  self  in  his  prayer,  and  manifests  him- 
self remarkably  in  his  excellency,  sovereignty,  and  his 


THINGS    TO    BE  AVOIDED.  319 

all-sufficient  power  and  grace  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  a 
remarkable  manner  enables  the  person  to  come  to  him  for 
that  mercy,  poor  in  spirit,  and  with  humble  resignation 
to  God,  and  with  a  great  degree  of  faith  in  the  divine 
sufficiency  and  the  sufficiency  of  Christ's  mediation,  that 
person  has  indeed  a  great  deal  the  more  reason  to  hope 
that  God  will  grant  that  mercy  than  otherwise  he  would 
have  :  the  greater  probability  is  justly  inferred  from  all 
this,  that,  agreeably  to  the  promises  of  the  holy  Scripture, 
the  prayer  is  accepted  and  heard ;  and  it  is  much  more 
probable  that  a  prayer  that  is  heard  will  be  returned 
with  the  particular  mercy  that  is  asked,  than  one  that  is 
not  heard. 

And  there  is  no  reason  at  all  to  doubt  but  that  God 
sometimes  especially  enables  to  the  exercises  of  faith, 
when  the  minds  of  his  saints  are  engaged  in  thoughts  of 
and  prayers  for  some  particular  blessing  they  greatly 
desire ;  that  is,  God  is  pleased  especially  to  give  them  a 
believing  frame,  a  sense  of  his  fulness,  and  a  spirit  of 
humble  dependence  on  him,  at  such  times  when  they  are 
thinking  of  and  praying  for  that  mercy  more  than  for  other 
mercies ;  he  gives  them  a  particular  sense  of  his  ability 
to  do  that  thing,  and  of  the  sufficiency  of  his  power  to 
overcome  such  and  such  obstacles,  and  the  sufficiency  of 
his  mercy  and  of  the  blood  of  Christ  for  the  removal  of 
the  guilt  that  is  in  the  way  of  the  bestowment  of  such  a 
mercy  in  particular.  When  this  is  Jbhe  case,  it  makes  the 
probability  still  much  greater  that  God  intends  to  bestow 
the  particular  mercy  sought,  in  his  own  time  and  his 
own  way. 

But  here  is  nothing  of  the  nature  of  a  revelation  in  the 
case,  but  only  a  drawing  rational  conclusions  from  the 


320  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

particular  manner  and  circumstances  of  the  ordinary- 
gracious  influences  of  God's  Spirit.  And  as  God  is 
pleased  sometimes  to  give  his  saints  particular  exercises 
of  faith  in  his  sufliciency  with  regard  to  particular 
mercies  they  seek,  so  he  is  sometimes  pleased  to  make 
use  of  his  word  in  order  to  it,  and  helps  the  actings  of 
faith  with  respect  to  such  a  mercy  by  texts  of  Scripture 
that  especially  exhibit  the  sufficiency  of  God's  power  or 
mercy  in  such  a  like  case,  or  speak  of  such  a  manner  of 
the  exercise  of  God's  strength  and  grace.  The  strength- 
ening of  their  faith  in  God's  sufficiency  in  this  case  is 
therefore  a  just  improvement  of  such  Scriptures  :  it  is 
no  more  than  what  those  Scriptures  as  they  stand  in  the 
Bible  hold  forth  just  cause  for ;  but  to  take  them  as  new 
whispers  or  revelations  from  heaven,  is  not  making  a  just 
improvement  of  them.  If  persons  have  thus  a  spirit  of 
prayer  remarkably  given  them  concerning  a  particular 
mercy  from  time  to  time,  so  as  evidently  to  be  assisted 
to  act  faith  in  God  in  that  particular  in  a  very  distinguish- 
ing manner,  the  argument  in  some  cases  may  be  very 
strong  that  God  does  design  to  grant  that  mercy,  not 
from  any  revelation  now  made  of  it,  but  from  such  a 
kind  and  manner  of  the  ordinary  inffuence  of  his  Spirit 
with  respect  to  that  thing. 

But  here  a  great  deal  of  caution  and  circumspection  must 
be  used  in  drawing  inferences  of  this  nature  :  there  are 
many  ways  that  persons  may  be  misled  and  deluded. 
The  ground  on  which  some  expect  that  they  shall  receive 
the  thing  they  have  asked  for,  is  rather  a  strong  imagina- 
tion than  any  true  humble  faith  in  the  divine  sufficiency. 
They  have  a  strong  persuasion  that  the  thing  asked  shall 
be  granted  (which  they  can  give  no  reason  for)   without 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  321 

uny  remarkable  discovery  of  that  glory  and  fulness  of 
God  and  Christ  that  is  the  gi'ound  of  faith.  And  some- 
times the  confidence  persons  have  that  their  prayers  shall 
be  answered,  is  only  a  self-righteous  confidence  and  no 
true  faith  :  they  have  a  high  conceit  of  themselves  as 
eminent  saints  and  special  favorites  of  God,  and  have 
also  a  high  conceit  of  the  prayers  they  have  made,  be- 
cause they  v^^ere  much  enlarged  and  affected  in  them  ; 
and  hence  they  are  positive  in  it  that  the  thing  w^ill  come 
to  pass.  And  sometimes  when  once  they  have  conceived 
such  a  notion  they  grow  stronger  and  stronger  in  it ;  and 
this  they  think  is  from  an  immediate  divine  hand  upon 
their  minds  to  strengthen  their  confidence  :  whereas  it  is 
only  by  their  dwelling  in  their  minds  on  their  own  ex- 
cellency and  high  experiences  and  great  assistances, 
whereby  they  look  brighter  and  brighter  in  their  own 
eyes.  Hence  it  is  found  by  observation  and  experience 
that  nothing  in  the  world  exposes  so  much  to  enthusiasm 
as  spiritual  pride  and  self-righteousness. 

In  order  to  drawing  a  just  inference  from  the  supposed 
assistance  we  have  had  in  prayer  for  a  particular  mercy, 
and  judging  of  the  probability  of  the  bestowment  of  that 
individual  mercy,  many  tilings  must  he  C07isidered.  We 
must  consider  the  importance  of  the  mercy  sought  and 
the  principle  whence  we  so  earnestly  desire  it :  how  far 
it  is  good  and  agreeable  to  the  mind  and  will  of  God  ; 
the  degree  of  love  to  God  that  we  exercise  in  our 
prayer ;  the  degree  of  discovery  that  is  made  of  the 
divine  sufficiency,  and  the  degree  in  which  our  assistance 
is  manifestly  distinguishing  with  respect  to  that  mercy. 
And  there  is  nothing  of  greater  importance  in  the  argu- 
ment than  the  degree  of  humility,  poverty  of  spirit,  sfl^- 
14* 


322  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

emptiness  and  resignation  to  the  holy  will  of  God  which 
God  gives  us  the  exercise  of  in  our  seeking  that  mercy : 
praying  for  a  particular  mercy  with  much  of  these  things, 
I  have  often  seen  blessed  with  a  remarkable  bestowment 
of  the  particular  thing  asked  for. 

From  what  has  been  said  we  may  see  how  God  may, 
only  by  the  ordinary  gracious  influences  of  his  Spirit, 
sometimes  give  his  saints  special  reason  to  hope  for  the 
bestowment  of  a  particular  mercy  they  desire  and  have 
prayed  for,  and  which  we  may  suppose  he  oftentimes 
gives  eminent  saints  that  have  great  degrees  of  humility 
and  much  communion  with  God.  And  here  I  humbly 
conceive  some  eminent  servants  of  Jesus  Christ  that  have 
appeared  in  the  church  of  God  that  we  read  of  in  eccle- 
siastical story,  have  been  led  into  a  mistake  ;  and  through 
want  of  distinguishing  such  things  as  these  from  imme- 
diate revelations,  have  thought  that  God  has  favored  them 
in  some  instances  with  the  same  kind  of  divine  influences 
that  the  apostles  and  prophets  had  of  old. 

5.    Wrong  principles — Perversion  of  the  teachings   of  the 
Spirit — Securmg   a  present  good^  regardless   of  conse- 


Another  erroneous  principle  that  some  have  embraced, 
which  has  been  a  source  of  many  errors  in  their  conduct, 
is,  that  persons  ought  always  to  do  whatsoever  the  Spirit  of 
God  (though  hut  i^idirectly )  inclines  them  to.  Indeed  the 
Spirit  of  God  in  itself  is  infinitely  perfect,  and  all  his  im- 
mediate actings,  simply  considered,  are  perfect,  and  there 
can  be  nothing  wrong  in  them  ;  and  therefore  all  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  inclines  us  to  directly  and  immediately, 
without  the  intervention  of  any  other  cause  that  shall 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  323 

pervert  and  misimprove  w^hat  is  from  the  Spirit  of  God, 
ought  to  be  done  ;  but  there  may  be  many  things  that  we 
may  be  disposed  to  do,  which  disposition  may  indirectly 
be  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  we  ought  not  to  do :  the 
disposition  in  general  may  be  good,  and  be  from  the  Spi- 
rit of  God,  but  the  particular  determination  of  that  dis- 
position, as  to  particular  actions,  objects  and  circum- 
stances, may  be  ill,  and  not  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  but 
may  be  from  the  intervention  or  interposition  of  some 
infirmity,  blindness,  inadvertence,  deceit  or  corruption  of 
ours ;  so  that  although  the  disposition  in  general  ought 
to  be  allowed  and  promoted,  and  all  those  actings  of  it 
that  are  simply  from  God's  Spirit,  yet  the  particular  ill 
direction  or  determination  of  that  disposition  which  is 
from  some  other  cause,  ought  not  to  be  followed. 

As  for  instance,  the  Spirit  of  God  may  cause  a  person 
to  have  a  dear  love  to  another,  and  so  a  great  desire  of 
and  delight  in  his  comfort,  ease  and  pleasure  :  this  dispo- 
sition in  general  is  good,  and  ought  to  be  followed ;  but 
yet,  through  the  intervention  of  indiscretion,  or  some 
other  bad  cause,  it  may  be  ill  directed  and  have  a  bad  de- 
termination as  to  particular  acts ;  and  the  person  indi- 
rectly, through  that  real  love  that  he  has  to  his  neighbor, 
may  kill  him  with  kindness  ;  he  may  do  that  out  of  sin- 
cere good  will  to  him  which  may  tend  to  ruin  him.  A 
good  disposition  may,  through  some  inadvertence  or  delu- 
sion, strongly  incline  a  person  to  that  which,  if  he  saw  all 
things  as  they  are,  would  be  most  contrary  to  that  dispo- 
sition. The  true  loyalty  of  a  general,  and  his  zeal  for 
the  honor  of  his  prince,  may  exceedingly  animate  him 
in  war ;  but  yet  this  that  is  a  good  disposition,  through 
indiscretion  and  mistake,  may  push  him  forward  to  those 


324  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

things  that  give  the  enemy  great  advantage,  and  may  ex- 
pose him  and  his  army  to  ruin,  and  may  tend  to  the  ruin 
of  his  master's  interest. 

The  apostle  does  evidently  suppose  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  in  his  extraordinary,  immediate  and  miraculous  in- 
fluences on  men's  minds,  may  in  some  respect  excite  incli- 
nations in  men  that,  if  gratified,  w^ould  tend  to  confusion, 
and  therefore  must  sometimes  be  restrained,  and  in  their 
exercise  must  be  under  the  government  of  discretion. 
1  Cor.  14  :  31,  32,  33,  "  For  ye  may  all  prophesy,  one 
by  one,  that  all  may  learn,  and  all  may  be  comforted.  And 
the  spirits  of  the  prophets  are  subject  to  the  prophets  ;  for 
God  is  not  the  author  of  confusion,  but  of  peace,  as  in  all 
the  churches  of  the  saints."  Here  by  the  spirits  of  the  pro- 
phets, according  to  the  known  phraseology  of  the  apostle, 
is  meant  the  Spirit  of  God  acting  in  the  prophets  accord- 
ing to  those  special  gifts  v^^ith  w^hich  each  one  was  en- 
dowed. And  here  it  is  plainly  implied  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  thus  operating  in  them,  may  be  an  occasion  of  their 
having,  sometimes,  an  inclination  to  do  that,  in  the  exercise 
of  those  gifts,  which  it  was  not  proper,  decent  or  profitable 
that  they  should,  and  that  therefore  the  inclination,  though 
indirectly  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  should  be  restrained, 
and  that  it  ought  to  be  subject  to  the  discretion  of  the 
prophets  as  to  the  particular  time  and  circumstance  of 
its  exercise. 

I  can  make  no  doubt  but  that  it  is  possible  for  a  minis- 
ter to  have  given  him  by  the  Spirit  of  God  such  a  sense 
of  the  importance  of  eternal  things  and  of  the  misery  of 
mankind,  that  are  so  many  of  them  exposed  to  eternal 
destruction,  together  with  such  a  love  to  souls  that  he 
might  find  in  himself  a  disposition  to  spend  all  his  time. 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  325 

(lay  and  night,  in  warning,  exhorting  and  calling  upon 
men,  and  so  that  he  must  be  obliged  as  it  were  to  do  vio- 
lence to  himself  ever  to  refrain,  so  as  to  give  himself  any 
opportunity  to  eat,  drink  or  sleep.  And  so  I  believe 
there  may  be  a  disposition  in  like  manner  indirectly  ex- 
cited in  lay  persons,  through  the  intervention  of  their  in- 
firmity, to  do  what  belongs  to  ministers  only ;  yea,  to  do 
those  things  that  would  not  become  either  ministers  or 
people.  Through  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  to- 
gether with  want  of  discretion  and  some  remaining  cor- 
ruption, women  and  children  might  feel  themselves  in- 
clined to  break  forth  and  scream  aloud  to  great  congre- 
gations, warning  and  exhorting  the  whole  multitude,  and 
to  go  forth  and  halloo  and  scream  in  the  streets,  or  to 
leave  the  families  they  belong  to  and  go  from  house  to 
house  earnestly  exhorting  others ;  but  yet  it  would  by  no 
means  follow  that  it  was  their  duty  to  do  these  things,  or 
that  they  would  not  have  a  tendency  to  do  ten  times  as 
much  hurt  as  good. 

Another  wrong  principle  from  whence  have  arisen 
errors  in  conduct  is,  that  whatsoever  is  found  to  be  of 
present  and  immediate  bencjit,  may  and  ought  to  be  prac- 
tised without  looking  forward  to  future  consequences. 
Some  persons  seem  to  think  that  it  sufficiently  justifies 
any  thing  that  they  say  or  do,  that  it  is  found  to  be  for 
their  present  edification  and  the  edification  of  those  that 
are  with  them  :  it  assists  and  promotes  their  present  af- 
fection, and  therefore  they  think  they  should  not  concern 
themselves  about  future  consequences,  but  leave  them 
with  God.  Indeed  in  things  that  are  in  themselves  our 
duty,  being  required  by  moral  rules  or  absolute  posi- 
tive commands  of  God,  they  must  be  done,  and  future 


326  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

consequences  be  left  with  God ;   our  choice  and  discre 
tion  have  no  place  here  :  but  in  other  things  we  are  to 
be  governed  by  discretion,  and  must  not  only  look  at  the 
present  good,  but  our  view  must  be  extensive,  and  we 
must  look  at  the  consequences  of  things. 

It  is  the  duty  of  ministers  especially  to  exercise  this 
discretion.  In  things  wherein  they  are  not  determined 
by  an  absolute  rule,  and  that  are  not  enjoined  them  by  a 
wisdom  superior  to  their  own,  Christ  has  left  them  to 
their  own  discretion,  with  the  general  rule,  that  they 
should  exercise  the  utmost  wisdom  they  can  obtain  in 
pursuing  that  which,  upon  the  best  view  of  the  conse- 
quences of  things,  will  tend  most  to  the  advancement  of 
his  kingdom.  This  is  implied  in  those  words  of  Christ 
to  his  disciples,  when  he  sent  them  forth  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  Matt.  10  :  16,  '*  Be  ye  wise  as  serpents."  The 
Scripture  always  represents  the  work  of  a  Gospel  minis- 
ter by  those  employments  that  especially  require  a  wise 
foresight  and  provision  for  the  future.  So  it  is  compared 
to  the  business  of  a  steivard,  which  is  a  business  that  in  an 
eminent  manner  requires  forecast  and  a  wise  laying  in  of 
provision  for  the  supply  of  the  needs  of  the  family,  ac- 
cording to  its  future  necessities ;  and  a  good  minister  is 
called  a  wise  steward.  So  it  is  compared  to  the  busi- 
ness of  a  Tiushandman,  that  almost  wholly  consists  in 
things  done  with  a  view  to  the  future  fruits  and  conse- 
quences of  his  labor :  the  husbandman's  discretion  and 
forecast  is  eloquently  set  forth  in  Isaiah,  28  :  24—26, 
"  Doth  the  ploughman  plough  all  day  to  sow  ?  doth  he 
open  and  break  the  clods  of  his  ground  1  When  he  hath 
made  plain  the  face  thereof,  doth  he  not  cast  abroad  the 
fitches,  and  scatter  the  cummin,  and  cast  in  the  principal 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  327 

wheat,  and  the  appointed  barley,  and  the  rye,  in  their 
place  ]  For  his  God  doth  instruct  him  to  discretion,  and 
doth  teach  him." 

So  the  work  of  the  ministry  is  compared  to  that  of  a 
wise  huilder  or  architect,  who  has  a  long  reach  and  com- 
prehensive view,  and  for  whom  it  is  necessary  that  when 
he  begins  a  building  he  should  have  at  once  a  view  of  the 
whole  frame  and  all  the  future  parts  of  the  structure,  even 
to  the  pinnacle,  that  all  may  be  fitly  framed  together.  So 
also  it  is  compared  to  the  business  of  a  trader  or  mer- 
chant, who  is  to  gain  by  trading  with  the  money  that  he 
begins  with  :  this  also  is  a  business  that  exceedingly  re- 
quires forecast,  and  without  it  is  never  like  to  be  followed 
with  any  success  for  any  long  time  :  so  it  is  represented 
by  the  business  of  a  fisherman,  which  depends  on  craft 
and  subtlety:  it  is  also  compared  to  the  business  of  a  sol- 
dier that  goes  to  war,  which  is  a  business  that  perhaps, 
above  any  other  secular  business,  requires  great  foresight 
and  a  wise  provision  for  future  events  and  consequences. 

And  particularly  ministers  ought  not  to  be  careless  how 
much  they  discompose  and  ruffle  the  minds  of  those  that 
they  esteem  natural  men,  or  how  great  an  uproar  they  raise 
in  the  carnal  world,  and  so  lay  blocks  in  the  way  of  the 
propagation  of  religion.  This  certainly  is  not  to  follow 
the  example  of  the  zealous  apostle  Paul,  who,  though 
he  would  not  depart  from  his  enjoined  duty  to  please 
carnal  men,  yet  wherein  he  might  with  a  good  conscience, 
did  exceedingly  lay  out  himself  to  please  them,  and  if 
possible  to  avoid  raising  in  the  multitude  prejudices,  op- 
positions and  tumults  against  the  Gospel ;  and  looked 
upon  it  that  it  was  of  great  consequence  that  it  should  be, 
if  possible,  avoided.    1  Cor.  10  :  32,  33,  *'  Give  none  of- 


328  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

fence,  neither  to  the  Jews  nor  to  the  Gentiles,  nor  to  the 
church  of  God :  even  as  I  please  all  men  in  all  things, 
not  seeking  mine  own  profit,  but  the  profit  of  many,  that 
they  may  be  saved."  Yea,  he  declares  that  he  laid  him- 
self out  so  much  for  this,  that  he  made  himself  a  kind  of 
a  servant  to  all  sorts  of  men,  conforming  to  their  customs 
and  various  humors,  in  every  thing  wherein  he  might, 
even  in  things  that  were  very  burdensome  to  him,  that 
he  might  not  frighten  men  away  from  Christianity,  and 
cause  them  to  stand  as  it  were  braced  and  armed  against 
it,  but  on  the  contrary,  if  possible,  might  with  condescen- 
sion and  friendship  win  and  draw  them  to  it ;  as  you  may 
see,  1  Cor.  9  :  19-23. 

Agreeably  hereto  are  the  directions  he  gives  to  others, 
both  ministers  and  people  :  so  he  directs  the  christian 
Romans  not  to  please  themselves,  hut  every  one  please  his 
neighbor  for  his  good  to  edification,  Rom.  15  :  1,  2 ;  and 
to  follow  after  the  tilings  that  make  for  peace,  chap.  14  :  19. 
And  he  expresses  it  in  terms  exceedingly  strong,  Rom. 
12  :  18,  **  If  it  be  possible,  as  much  as  lieth  in  you,  live 
peaceably  with  all  men."  And  he  directs  ministers  to  en- 
deavor if  possible  to  gain  opposers  by  a  meek,  conde- 
scending treatment,  avoiding  all  appearance  of  strife  or 
fierceness,  2  Tim.  2  :  24-26.  To  the  like  purpose  the 
same  apostle  directs  christians  to  icalk  in  wisdom  towards 
them  that  are  ivithout,  Eph.  4:5.  And  to  avoid  giving 
offence  to  others,  if  we  can,  that  our  good  may  not  he  evil 
syoheji  of,  Rom.  14  :  16.  So  that  it  is  evident  that  the 
great  and  most  zealous  and  most  successful  propagator 
of  vital  religion  that  ever  was,  looked  upon  it  to  be  of 
great  consequence  to  endeavor  as  much  as  possible,  by 
all  the  methods  of  lawful  meekness  and  gentleness,  to 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  329 

avoid  raising  the  prejudice  and  opposition  of  the  world 
against  religion.  When  we  have  done  our  utmost  there 
v^rill  be  opposition  enough  against  vital  religion,  against 
which  the  carnal  mind  of  man  has  such  an  enmity ;  we 
should  not,  therefore,  needlessly  increase  and  raise  that 
enmity,  as  in  the  apostle's  days,  though  he  took  so  much 
pains  to  please  men,  yet  because  he  was  faithful  and 
thorough  in  his  work,  persecution  almost  every  where 
was  raised  against  him. 

A  fisherman  is  careful  not  needlessly  to  ruffle  and  dis- 
turb the  water,  lest  he  should  drive  the  fish  away  from 
his  net ;  but  he  will  rather  endeavor,  if  possible,  to  draw 
them  into  it.  Such  a  fisherman  was  the  apostle.  2  Cor. 
12  :  15,  16,  "  And  I  will  very  gladly  spend  and  be  spent 
for  you ;  though  the  more  abundantly  I  love  you,  the  less 
I  be  loved.  But  be  it  so ;  I  did  not  burden  you;  neverthe- 
less, being  crafty,  I  caught  you  with  guile." 

The  necessity  of  sKffering  persecution  in  order  to  being 
a  true  christian,  has  undoubtedly  by  some  been  carried 
to  an  extreme,  and  the  doctrine  has  been  abused.  It  has 
been  looked  upon  as  necessary  to  uphold  a  man's  credit 
amongst  others  as  a  christian,  that  he  should  be  perse- 
cuted. I  have  heard  it  made  an  objection  against  the  sin- 
cerity of  particular  persons  that  they  were  no  more  hated 
and  reproached.  And  the  manner  of  glorying  in  perse- 
cution or  the  cross  of  Christ  has  in  some  been  very 
wrong,  having  too  much  the  appearance  of  priding  them- 
selves that  they  were  very  much  hated  and  reviled,  more 
than  most,  as  an  evidence  of  their  excelling  others  in  be- 
ing good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ.  Such  an  improvement 
of  the  doctrine  of  the  enmity  between  the  seed  of  the 
woman  and  the  seed  of  the  serpent,  and  of  the  necessity 


330  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

of  persecution,  becoming  credible  and  customary,  has  a 
direct  tendency  to  cause  those  that  would  be  accounted 
true  christians  so  to  behave  themselves  towards  those 
that  are  not  well  affected  to  religion  as  to  provoke  their 
hatred,  or  at  least  to  be  but  little  careful  to  avoid  it,  and 
not  very  studiously  and  earnestly  to  strive  (after  the  apos- 
tle's example  and  precepts)  to  please  them  to  their  edi- 
fication, and  by  meekness  and  gentleness  to  win  them, 
and  by  all  possible  means  to  live  peaceably  with  them. 
I  believe  that  saying  of  our  Savior,  I  came  not  to  send, 
peace  on  earthy  hut  division,  has  been  abused;  as  though 
when  we  see  great  strife  and  division  arise  about  religion, 
and  violent  heats  of  spirit  against  the  truly  pious,  and  a 
loud  clamor  and  uproar  against  the  work  of  God,  it  was 
to  be  rejoiced  in,  because  it  is  that  which  Christ  came  to 
send.  It  has  almost  been  laid  down  as  a  maxim  by  some, 
that  the  more  division  and  strife  the  better  sign ;  which 
naturally  leads  persons  to  seek  it  and  provoke  it,  or  leads 
them  to  and  encourages  them  in  such  a  manner  of  beha- 
vior, such  a  roughness  and  sharpness,  or  such  an  affected 
neglect  as  has  a  natural  tendency  to  raise  prejudice  and 
opposition,  instead  of  striving,  as  the  apostle  did  to  his 
utmost,  by  all  meekness,  gentleness  and  benevolence  of 
behavior,  to  prevent  or  assuage  it.  Christ  came  to  send 
a  sword  on  earth,  and  to  cause  division,  no  otherwise  than 
he  came  to  send  damnation  ;  for  Christ,  who  is  set  for  the 
glorious  restoration  of  some,  is  set  for  the  fall  of  others, 
and  to  be  a  stone  of  stumbling  and  rock  of  offence  to  them, 
and  an  occasion  of  their  vastly  more  aggravated  and  ter- 
rible damnation  ;  and  this  is  always  the  consequence  of  a 
great  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  and  revival  of  vital  religion  : 
it  is  the  means  of  the  salvation  of  some  and  the  more  ag- 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  331 

gravated  damnation  of  others.  But  certainly  this  is  no 
lust  argument  that  men's  exposedness  to  damnation  is 
not  to  be  lamented,  or  that  we  should  not  exert  ourselves 
to  our  utmost,  in  all  the  methods  that  we  can  devise,  that 
others  might  be  saved,  and  to  avoid  all  such  behavior 
towards  them  as  tends  to  lead  them  down  to  hell. 

I  know  there  is  naturally  a  gi'eat  enmity  in  the  heart 
of  man  against  vital  religion ;  and  I  believe  there  would 
have  been  a  great  deal  of  opposition  against  this  glorious 
work  of  God  in  New  England  if  the  subjects  and  pro- 
moters of  it  had  behaved  themselves  never  so  agreeably 
to  christian  rules ;  and  I  believe,  if  this  work  goes  on  and 
spreads  much  in  the  world,  so  as  to  begin  to  shake  king- 
doms and  nations,  it  will  dreadfully  stir  up  the  rage  of 
earth  and  hell,  and  will  put  the  world  into  the  greatest 
uproar  that  ever  it  was  in  since  it  stood  :  I  believe  Satan's 
dying  struggles  will  be  the  most  violent :  but  yet  I  be- 
lieve a  great  deal  might  be  done  to  restrain  this  opposi- 
tion, by  a  good  conformity  to  that  of  the  apostle  James, 
Chap.  3  :  13 :  "  Who  is  a  wise  man,  and  endued  with 
knowledge  1  Let  him  show  out  of  a  good  conversation 
his  works,  with  meekness  of  wisdom."  And  I  also  be- 
lieve that  if  the  rules  of  christian  charity,  meekness,  gen- 
tleness and  prudence  had  been  duly  observed  by  the  gene- 
rality of  the  zealous  promoters  of  this  work,  it  would 
have  made  three  times  the  progress  that  it  has ;  that  is,  if 
it  had  pleased  God  in  such  a  case_  to  give  a  blessing  to 
means  in  proportion  as  he  has  done. 

Under  this  head  of  carelessness  of  the  future  conse- 
quences of  things,  it  may  be  proper  to  say  something  of 
introducing  things  new  and  strange,  and  that  have  a  ten- 
dency by  their  novelty  to  shock  and  surprise  people.  No- 


332  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

thing  can  be  more  evident  from  the  New  Testament  than 
that  such  things  ought  to  be  done  w^ith  great  caution  and 
moderation,  to  avoid  the  offence  that  may  be  thereby 
given,  and  the  prejudices  that  might  be  raised  to  clog 
and  hinder  the  progress  of  rehgion :  yea,  that  it  ought  to 
be  thus  in  things  that  are  in  themselves  good  and  excel- 
lent, and  of  great  weight,  provided  they  are  not  things 
that  are  of  the  nature  of  absolute  duty,  which,  though 
they  may  appear  to  be  innovations,  yet  cannot  be  neg- 
lected without  immorality  or  disobedience  to  the  com- 
mands of  God.  What  great  caution  and  moderation  did 
the  apostles  use  in  introducing  things  that  were  new,  and 
abolishing  things  that  were  old  in  their  day  ! 

How  gradually  were  the  ceremonial  performances  of 
the  law  of  Moses  removed  and  abolished  among  the  chris- 
tian Jews  !  And  how  long  did  even  the  apostle  Paul  him- 
self conform  to  those  ceremonies  which  he  calls  weak 
and  beggarly  elements  !  Yea,  even  to  the  rite  of  circum- 
cision, (Acts,  16  :  3,)  that  he  speaks  so  much  in  his  epis- 
tles of  the  worthlessness  of,  that  he  might  not  prejudice 
the  Jews  against  Christianity !  So  it  seems  to  have  been 
very  gradually  that  the  Jewish  Sabbath  was  abolished 
and  the  christian  Sabbath  introduced  for  the  same  reason. 
And  the  apostles  avoided  teaching  the  christians  in  those 
early  days,  at  least  for  a  great  while,  some  high  and  ex- 
cellent divine  truths,  because  they  could  not  bear  them 
yet,  1  Cor.  3  :  1,  2;  Heb,  5  :  11-14.  Thus  strictly  did 
the  apostles  observe  the  rule  that  their  blessed  Master 
gave  them,  of  not  putting  new  v/ine  into  old  bottles,  lest 
they  should  burst  the  bottles  and  lose  the  wine. 

And  how  did  Christ  himself  while  on  earth  forbear  so 
plainly  to  teach  bis  disciples  the  great  doctrines  of  chris- 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  333 

tianity,  concerning  his  satisfaction,  and  the  nature  and 
manner  of  a  sinner's  justification  and  reconciliation  with 
God,  and  the  particular  benefits  of  his  death,  resurrection 
and  ascension,  because  in  that  infant  state  the  minds  of 
the  disciples  were  not  prepared  for  such  instructions; 
and  therefore  the  more  clear  and  full  revelation  of  these 
things  was  reserved  for  the  time  when  their  minds  should 
be  further  enlightened  and  strengthened  by  the  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit  after  his  ascension ;  John,  16  :  12,  13, 
"  I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot 
bear  them  now  :  howbeit,  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is 
come,  he  will  guide  you  into  all  truth  ;"  and  Mark,  4  :  33, 
"  With  many  such  parables  spake  he  the  word  unto  them, 
as  they  were  able  to  bear  it."  These  things  might  be 
enough  to  convince  any  one,  that  does  not  think  himself 
wiser  than  Christ  and  his  apostles,  that  great  prudence 
and  caution  should  be  used  in  introducing  things  into  the 
church  of  God  that  are  very  uncommon,  though  in  them- 
selves they  may  be  very  excellent,  lest  by  our  rashness 
and  imprudent  haste  we  hinder  religion  much  more  than 
we  help  it. 

Persons  that  are  influenced  by  an  indiscreet  zeal  are 
always  in  too  much  haste ;  they  are  impatient  of  delays, 
and  therefore  are  for  jumping  to  the  uppermost  step  first, 
before  they  have  taken  the  preceding  steps  ;  whereby 
they  expose  themselves  to  fall  and  break  their  bones  :  it 
is  a  thing  very  taking  with  them  to, see  the  building  rise 
very  high,  and  all  their  endeavor  and  strength  is  em- 
ployed in  advancing  the  building  in  height,  without  tak- 
ing care  withal  proportionably  to  enlarge  the  foundation  ; 
whereby  the  whole  is  in  danger  of  coming  to  the  ground  ; 
or  they  are  for  putting  on  the  cupola  and  pinnacle  before 


334  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

they  are  come  to  it,  or  before  the  low^er  parts  of  the 
building  are  done ;  which  tends  at  once  to  put  a  stop  to 
the  building,  and  hinder  its  ever  being  a  complete  struc- 
ture. Many  that  are  thus  imprudent  and  hasty  v^^ith 
their  zeal,  have  a  real  eager  appetite  for  that  w^hich  is 
good ;  but  are  like  children,  that  are  impatient  to  wait 
for  the  fruit  until  the  proper  season  of  it,  and  therefore 
snatch  it  before  it  is  ripe  :  oftentimes  in  their  haste  they 
overshoot  their  mark,  and  frustrate  their  own  end ;  they 
put  that  which  they  would  obtain  further  out  of  reach 
than  it  was  before,  and  establish  and  confirm  that  which 
they  would  remove. 

Things  must  have  time  to  ripen  :  the  prudent  husband- 
man waits  until  he  has  received  the  former  and  the  latter 
rain,  and  till  the  harvest  is  ripe,  before  ho  reaps.  We  are 
now  just  as  it  were  beginning  to  recover  out  of  a  dread- 
ful disease  that  we  have  been  long  under :  and  to  feed  a 
man  recovering  from  a  fever  with  strong  meat  at  once, 
is  the  ready  way  to  kill  him.  The  reformation  from 
Popery  was  much  hindered  by  this  hasty  zeal :  many 
were  for  immediately  rectifying  all  disorders  by  force, 
which  was  condemned  by  Luther,  and  was  a  great  trouble 
to  him.  See  Sleiden's  History  of  the  Reformation,  page 
52,  &c.  and  Book  V.  throughout.  It  is  a  vain  prejudice 
that  some  have  lately  imbibed  against  such  rules  of  pru- 
dence and  moderation  :  they  will  be  forced  to  come  to 
them  at  last ;  they  will  find  themselves  that  they  are  not 
able  to  maintain  their  cause  without  them ;  and  if  they 
will  not  hearken  before,  experience  will  convince  them 
at  last,  when  it  will  be  too  late  for  them  to  rectify  their 
mistake. 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  335 

6.    Wrong  principles — Incorrect  views  of  an  attestation  of 
Providence —  Undervaluing  external  order. 

Another  error,  that  is  of  the  nature  of  an  erroneous 
principle,  into  which  some  have  fallen,  is  a  wrong  notion 
that  they  have  of  an  attestation  of  divine  Providence  to 
persons  or  things.  We  go  too  far  when  we  look  upon  the 
success  that  God  gives  to  some  persons,  in  making  them 
the  instruments  of  doing  much  good,  as  a  testimony  of 
God's  approbation  of  those  persons  and  all  the  courses 
they  take.  It  is  a  main  argument  that  has  been  made  use 
of  to  defend  the  conduct  of  some  of  those  ministers  that 
have  been  blamed  as  imprudent  and  irregular,  that  God 
has  smiled  upon  them  and  blessed  them,  and  given  them 
great  success,  and  that  however  men  charge  them  as 
guilty  of  many  wrong  things,  yet  it  is  evident  that  God 
is  with  them,  and  then  who  can  be  against  them  1  And 
probably  some  of  those  ministers  themselves,  by  this  very 
means,  have  had  their  ears  stopped  against  all  that  has 
been  said  to  convince  them  of  their  misconduct.  But 
there  are  innumerable  ways  that  persons  may  be  misled 
in  forming  a  judgment  of  the  mind  and  will  of  God  from 
the  events  of  Providence.  If  a  person's  success  be  a  re- 
ward of  something  that  God  sees  in  him  that  he  approves 
of,  yet  it  is  no  argument  that  he  approves  of  every  thing 
in  him.  Who  can  tell  how  far  divine  grace  may  go  in 
greatly  rewarding  some  small  good  that  he  sees  in  a  per- 
son, a  good  meaning,  something  good  in  his  disposition, 
while  he  at  the  same  time,  in  sovereign  mercy,  hides  his 
eyes  from  a  great  deal  that  is  bad,  that  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
forgive,  and  not  to  mark  against  the  person,  though  in 
itself  it  be  verv  ill  ] 


336  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

God  has  not  told  us  after  w^hat  manner  he  will  proceed 
in  this  matter,  and  w^e  go  upon  most  uncertain  grounds 
when  we  undertake  to  determine.  It  is  an  exceedingly- 
difficult  thing  to  know  how  far  love  or  hatred  is  exercised 
towards  persons  or  actions  by  all  that  is  before  us.  God 
was  pleased  in  his  sovereignty  to  give  such  success  to 
Jacob  in  what  from  beginning  to  end  was  a  deceitful, 
lying  contrivance  and  proceeding,  that  in  that  way  he  ob- 
tained the  blessing  that  was  worth  infinitely  more  than 
the  fatness  of  the  earth  and  the  dew  of  heaven  which 
was  given  to  Esau  in  his  blessing,  yea,  worth  more  than 
all  that  the  world  can  afford.  God  was  for  a  while  with 
Judas,  so  that  he,  by  God's  power  accompanying  him, 
wrought  miracles  and  cast  out  devils ;  but  this  could  not 
justly  be  interpreted  as  God's  approbation  of  his  person, 
or  the  theft  that  he  practised  at  the  same  time. 

The  dispensations  and  events  of  Providence  with  their 
reasons  are  too  little  understood  by  us  to  be  improved 
by  us  as  our  rule  instead  of  God's  word ;  God  has  his 
way  in  the  sea  and  his  path  in  the  mighty  waters,  and  his 
footsteps  are  not  known,  and  he  gives  us  no  account  of  any 
of  his  matters  ;  and  therefore  we  cannot  safely  take  the 
events  of  his  providence  as  a  revelation  of  his  mind  con- 
cerning a  person's  conduct  and  behavior.  We  have  no 
warrant  so  to  do  ;  God  has  never  appointed  those  things, 
but  something  else  to  be  our  rule ;  we  have  but  one  rule 
to  go  by,  and  that  is  his  holy  word,  and  when  we  join  any 
thing  else  with  it  as  having  the  force  of  a  rule,  we  are 
guilty  of  that  which  is  strictly  forbidden.  Deut.  4  :  2, 
Prov.  30  :  6,  and  Rev.  22  :  18. 

They  who  make  what  they  imagine  is  pointed  forth  to 
them  in   Providence  their  rule  of  behavior,   do  err,  as 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  337 

well  as  those  that  follow  impulses  and  impressions  :  we 
should  put  nothing  in  the  room  of  the  word  of  God.  It 
is  to  be  feared  that  some  have  been  greatly  confirmed 
and  emboldened  by  the  great  success  that  God  has  given 
them  in  some  things  that  have  really  been  contrary  to 
the  rules  of  God's  holy  word.  If  it  has  been  so,  they 
have  been  guilty  of  presumption,  and  abusing  God's 
kindness  to  them  and  the  great  honor  he  has  put  upon 
them  ;  they  have  seen  that  God  was  with  them  and  made 
them  victorious  in  their  preaching ;  and  this  it  is  to  be 
feared  has  been  abused  by  some  to  a  degree  of  self- 
confidence ;  it  has  prevented  a  proper  jealousy  of  them- 
selves ;  they  have  been  bold  therefore  to  go  great  lengths 
in  a  presumption  that  God  was  with  them,  and  would 
defend  them  and  finally  baflfle  all  that  found  fault  with 
them. 

Indeed  there  is  a  voice  of  God  in  his  providence  that 
may  be  interpreted  and  well  understood  by  the  rule  of 
his  word ;  and  Providence  may,  to  our  dark  minds  and 
weak  faith,  confirm  the  word  of  God  as  it  fulfils  it.  But 
to  improve  divine  Providence  thus,  is  quite  a  different 
thing  from  making  a  rule  of  Providence.  A  good  use 
may  be  made  of  the  events  of  Providence,  of  our  own 
observation  and  experience,  and  human  histories,  and  the 
opinion  of  the  fathers  and  other  eminent  men  ;  but  final- 
ly all  must  be  brought  to  one  rule,  the  word  of  God,  and 
that  must  be  regarded  as  our  only  rule. 

Nor  do  I  think  that  they  go  upon  sure  ground  that 
conclude  that  they  have  not  been  in  an  error  in  their  con- 
duct, because  at  the  time  of  their  doing  a  thing  for  which 
they  have  been  blamed  and  reproached  by  others,  they 
were  favored  with  special  comforts  of  GoiVs  Spirit.  God's 

Revival  of  ReL  1 '5 


338  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

bestow^ing  special  spiritual  mercies  on  a  person  at  such  a 
time,  is  no  sign  that  he  approves  of  every  thing  that  he 
then  sees  in  him.  David  had  very  much  of  the  pre- 
sence of  God  while  he  lived  in  polygamy  :  and  Solo- 
mon had  some  very  high  favors  and  peculiar  smiles 
of  heaven,  and  particularly  at  the  dedication  of  the 
temple,  while  he  greatly  multiplied  wives  to  himself, 
and  horses,  and  silver  and  gold  ;  all  contrary  to  the 
most  express  command  of  God  to  the  king,  in  the  law 
of  Moses,  Deut.  17  :  16,  17.  We  cannot  tell  how  far 
God  may  hide  his  eyes  from  beholding  iniquity  in  Jacob, 
and  seeing  perverseness  in  Israel.  We  cannot  tell  what 
are  the  reasons  of  God's  actions  any  further  than  he  in- 
terprets for  himself.  God  sometimes  gave  some  of  the 
primitive  christians  the  extraordinary  influence  of  his 
Spirit  when  they  were  out  of  the  way  of  their  duty  ;  and 
continued  it  while  they  were  abusing  it ;  as  is  plainly  im- 
plied, 1  Cor.  14  :  31—33. 

Yea,  if  a  person  has  done  a  thing  for  which  he  is  re- 
proached, and  that  reproach  be  an  occasion  of  his  feeling 
sweet  exercises  of  grace  in  his  soul,  and  that  from  time 
to  time,  I  do  not  think  that  is  a  certain  evidence  that 
God  approves  of  the  thing  he  is  blamed  for.  For  un- 
doubtedly a  mistake  may  be  the  occasion  of  stirring  up 
the  exercise  of  grace  in  a  man  that  has  grace.  If  a  per- 
son through  mistake  thinks  he  has  received  some  parti- 
cularly great  mercy,  that  mistake  may  be  the  occasion  of 
stirring  up  the  sweet  exercises  of  love  to  God  and  true 
thankfulness  and  joy  in  God.  As  for  instance,  if  one 
that  is  full  of  love  to  God  should  hear  credible  tidings 
concerning  a  remarkable  deliverance  of  a  child  or  other 
dear  friend,  or  some  glorious  thing  done  for  the  city  of 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  339 

God,  no  wonder  if,  on  such  an  occasion,  the  sweet  act- 
ings of  love  to  Grod  and  delight  in  God  should  be  excited, 
though  indeed  afterwards  it  should  prove  a  false  re- 
port that  he  heard.  So  if  one  that  loves  God  is  much 
maligned  and  reproached  for  doing  that  which  he  thinks 
God  required  and  approves,  no  wonder  that  it  is  sweet 
to  such  a  one  to  think  that  God  is  his  friend  though  men 
are  his  enemies ;  no  wonder  at  all  that  this  is  an  occasion 
of  his,  as  it  were,  leaving  the  world  and  sweetly  be- 
taking himself  to  God  as  his  sure  friend,  and  finding 
sweet  complacence  in  God,  though  he  be  indeed  in  a 
mistake  concerning  that  which  he  thought  was  agreeable 
to  God's  will. 

As  I  have  before  shown  that  the  exercise  of  a  truly 
good  aifection  may  be  the  occasion  of  error,  and  may  in- 
directly incline  a  person  to  do  that  which  is  wrong ;  so, 
on  the  other  hand,  error,  or  a  doing  that  which  is  wrong, 
may  be  an  occasion  of  the  exercise  of  a  truly  good  affec- 
tion. The  reason  is,  that  however  all  exercises  of  grace 
be  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  yet  the  Spirit  of  God  dwells 
and  acts  in  the  hearts  of  the  saints  in  some  measure 
after  the  manner  of  a  vital,  natural  principle,  a  principle 
of  new  nature  in  them,  whose  exercises  are  excited  by 
means  in  some  measure  as  other  natural  principles  are. 
Though  grace  be  not  in  the  saints  as  a  mere  natural  prin- 
ciphy  but  as  a  sovereign  agent,  and  so  its  exercises  are 
not  tied  to  means  by  an  imiiiutable  law  of  nature,  as  in 
mere  natural  principles;  yet  God  has  so  constituted, that 
grace  should  so  dwell  in  the  hearts  of  the  saints  that  its 
exercises  should  have  some  degree  of  connection  with 
means,  after  the  manner  of  a  principle  of  nature. 

Another  erroneous  principle  that  there  has  been  some- 


340  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

thing  of,  and  that  has  been  an  occasion  of  some  mischief 
and  confusion,  is  that  external  order  in  matters  of  religion 
and  the  use  of  the  means  of  grace  is  but  little  to  be  re- 
garded :  it  is  spoken  lightly  of  under  the  names  of  cere- 
monies and  dead  forms,  &c. ;  and  is  probably  the  more 
despised  by  some  because  their  opposers  insist  so  much 
upon  it,  and  because  they  are  so  continually  hearing 
from  them  the  cry  of  disorder  and  confusion. 

It  is  objected  against  the  importance  of  external  order, 
that  God  does  not  look  at  the  outv^ard  form,  he  looks  at 
the  heart :  but  it  is  a  weak  argument  against  its  import- 
ance that  true  godliness  does  not  consist  in  it ;  for  it 
may  be  equally  made  use  of  against  all  the  outw^ard 
means  of  grace  whatsoever.  True  godliness  does  not 
consist  in  ink  and  paper,  but  yet  that  would  be  a  foolish 
objection  against  the  importance  of  ink  and  paper  in  re- 
ligion, when  without  it  we  could  not  have  the  word  of 
God. 

If  any  external  means  are  at  all  needful,  any  outward 
actions  of  a  public  nature,  or  wherein  God's  people  are 
jointly  concerned  in  public  society,  without  doubt  exter- 
nal order  is  needful :  the  management  of  an  external 
affair  that  is  public,  or  wherein  a  multitude  is  concerned 
without  order,  is  in  every  thing  found  impossible.  With- 
out order  there  can  be  no  general  direction  of  a  multi- 
tude to  any  particular  designed  end,  their  purposes  will 
cross  one  another,  and  they  will  not  help  but  hinder  one 
another.  A  multitude  cannot  act  in  union  one  with 
another  without  order :  confusion  separates  and  divides 
them,  so  that  there  can  be  no  concert  or  agreement.  If 
a  multitude  would  helj?  one  another  in  any  affair,  they 
must  unite  themselves  one  to  another  in  a  reffular  subor- 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  341 

dination  of  members,  in  some  measure  as  it  is  in  the 
natural  body ;  by  this  means  they  will  be  in  some  capa- 
city to  act  with  united  strength  :  and  thus  Christ  has 
appointed  that  it  should  be  in  the  visible  church,  as 
1  Cor.  12  :  14-31,  and  Rom.  12  :  4—8. 

Zeal  without  order  will  do  but  little,  or  at  least  it  will 
be  effectual  but  a  little  while.  Let  a  company  that  are 
very  zealous  against  the  enemy  go  forth  to  war  without 
any  manner  of  order,  every  one  rushing  forward  as  his 
zeal  shall  drive  him,  all  in  confusion,  if  they  gain  some- 
thing at  the  first  onset  by  surprising  the  enemy,  yet  how 
soon  do  they  come  to  nothing  and  fall  an  easy,  helpless 
prey  to  their  adversaries  !  Order  is  one  of  the  most  ne- 
cessary of  all  external  means  for  the  spiritual  good  of 
God's  church ;  and  therefore  it  is  requisite,  even  in  hea- 
ven itself,  where  there  is  the  least  need  of  any  external 
means  of  giace :  order  is  maintained  among  the  glorious 
angels  there.  The  necessity  of  it  for  carrying  on  any 
design,  wherein  a  multitude  are  concerned,  is  so  great 
that  even  the  devils  in  hell  are  driven  to  something  of  it 
that  they  may  carry  on  the  designs  of  their  kingdom. 
And  it  is  very  observable  that  those  kinds  of  irrational 
creatures  for  whom  it  is  needful  that  they  should  act  in 
union  and  join  a  multitude  together,  to  carry  on  any 
work  for  their  preservation,  they  do,  by  a  wonderful  in- 
stinct that  God  has  put  into  them,  observe  and  maintain 
a  most  regular  and  exact  order  among  themselves  :  such 
as  bees  and  some  others. 

And  order  in  the  visible  church  is  not  only  necessary 
to  carrying  on  the  designs  of  Christ's  glory  and  the 
church's  prosperity,  but  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  its 
defence :  without  it,  it  is  like  a  city  without  walls,  and 


342  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

can  be  in  no  capacity  to  defend  itself  from  any  kind  of 
mischief;  and  so,  how^ever  order  be  an  external  thing, 
yet  it  is  not  to  be  despised  on  that  account ;  for  though 
it  be  not  the  food  of  souls,  yet  it  is  in  some  respect 
their  defence.  The  people  of  Holland  w^ould  be  very 
foolish  to  despise  the  dikes  that  keep  out  the  sea  from 
overwhelming  them,  under  the  names  of  dead  stones  and 
vile  earth,  because  the  matter  of  v^hich  they  are  built  is 
not  good  to  eat. 

It  seems  to  be  partly  on  the  foundation  of  this  notion 
of  the  w^orthlessness  of  external  order,  that  some  have 
seemed  to  act  on  the  principle  that  the  power  of  judging 
and  openly  censuring  others  should  not  be  reserved  in 
the  hands  of  particular  persons,  or  consistories  ap- 
pointed thereto,  but  ought  to  be  left  at  large  for  any  that 
please  to  take  it  upon  them,  or  that  think  themselves  fit 
for  it :  but  more  of  this  afterwards. 

On  this  foundation  also,  an  orderly  attending  on  the 
stated  worship  of  God  in  families  has  been  made  too 
light  of;  and  it  has  been  in  some  places  too  much  of  a 
common  and  customary  thing  to  be  absent  from  family 
worship,  and  to  be  abroad  late  in  the  night  at  religious 
meetings  or  to  attend  religious  conversation.  Not  but 
that  this  may  be,  on  certain  extraordinary  occasions.  I 
have  seen  the  case  to  be  such  in  many  instances,  that  I 
have  thought  it  afforded  sufficient  warrant  for  persons  to 
be  absent  from  family  prayer,  and  to  be  from  home  until 
very  late  in  the  night :  but  we  should  take  heed  that  this 
does  not  become  a  custom  or  common  practice ;  if  it 
should  be  so,  we  shall  soon  find  the  consequences  to  be 
very  ill. 

It  seems  to  be  on  the  same  foundation  of  the  supposed 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  343 

unprofitableness  of  external  order,  that  it  has  been 
thought  by  some  that  there  is  no  need  that  such  and  such 
religious  services  and  performances  should  be  limited  to 
any  certain  office  in  the  church  (of  which  more  afterwards.) 
And  also  that  those  offices  themselves,  as  particularly 
that  of  the  Gospel  ministry,  need  not  be  limited,  as  it 
used  to  be,  to  persons  of  a  liberal  education ;  but  some 
of  late  have  been  for  having  others  that  they  have  sup- 
posed to  be  persons  of  eminent  experience,  publicly  li- 
censed to  preach,  yea,  and  ordained  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry ;  and  some  ministers  have  seemed  to  favor  such 
a  thing:  but  how  little  do  they  seem  to  look  forward 
and  consider  the  unavoidable  consequences  of  opening 
such  a  door  !  If  once  it  should  become  a  custom,  or 
a  thing  generally  approved  and  allowed  of,  to  admit 
persons  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  that  have  had  no 
education  for  it,  because  of  their  remarkable  experiences, 
and  being  persons  of  good  understanding,  how  many  lay 
persons  would  soon  appear  as  candidates  for  the  work 
of  the  ministry !  I  doubt  not  but  that  I  have  been  ac- 
quainted with  scores  that  would  have  desired  it. 

And  how  shall  we  know  where  to  stop  %  If  one  is  ad- 
mitted because  his  experiences  are  remarkable,  another 
will  think  his  experiences  also  remarkable ;  and  we, 
perhaps,  shall  not  be  able  to  deny  but  that  they  are  near 
as  great :  if  one  is  admitted  because,  besides  expe- 
riences, he  has  good  natural  abilities,  another  by  himself 
and  many  of  his  neighbors  may  be  thought  equal  to  him. 
It  will  be  found  of  absolute  necessity  that  there  should 
be  some  certain,  visible  limits  fixed,  to  avoid  bringing 
odium  upon  ourselves,  and  breeding  uneasiness  and  strife 
amongst  others  j  and  I  know  of  none  better,  and  indeed 


344  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

no  Other  that  can  w^ell  be  fixed,  than  those  that  the  pro- 
phet Zechariah  fixes,  namely,  that  those  only  should  be 
appointed  to  be  pastors  or  shepherds  in  God's  church 
that  have  been  taught  to  keep  cattle  from  their  youth,  or 
that  have  had  an  education  iox  that  purpose. 

Those  ministers  that  have  a  disposition  to  break  over 
these  limits,  if  they  should  do  so,  and  make  a  practice  of 
it,  v7ould  break  dov^Ti  that  fence  vs^hich  they  themselves 
after  a  while,  after  they  had  been  wearied  with  the  ill 
consequences,  would  be  glad  to  have  somebody  else 
build  up  for  them.  Not  but  that  there  may  probably  be 
some  persons  in  the  land  that  have  had  no  education  at 
college,  that  are  in  themselves  better  qualified  for  the 
work  of  the  ministry  than  some  others  that  have  taken 
their  degrees  and  are  now  ordained.  But  yet  I  believe 
the  breaking  over  those  bounds  that  have  hitherto  been 
set  in  ordaining  such  persons,  would  in  its  consequences 
be  a  greater  calamity  than  the  missing  such  persons  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry.  The  opening  of  a  door  for  the 
admission  of  unlearned  men  to  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
though  they  should  be  persons  of  extraordinary  expe- 
rience, would  on  some  accounts  be  especially  prejudicial 
at  such  a  day  as  this ;  because  such  persons,  for  want  of 
an  extensive  knowledge,  are  oftentimes  forward  to  lead 
others  into  those  things  which  a  people  are  in  danger  of 
at  such  a  time  above  all  other  times,  namely,  impulses, 
vain  imaginations,  superstition,  indiscreet  zeal,  and  such 
like  extremes  ;  instead  of  defending  them  from  them,  for 
which  a  people  especially  need  a  shepherd  at  such  an 
extraordinary  season. 

Another  erroneous  principle  that  it  seems  to  me  some 
have  been  at  least  in  danger  of,  is,  that  ministers,  because 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  345 

they  speak  as  Christ's  ambassadors,  may  assume  the  same 
style  and  speak  as  with  the  same  authority  that  the  pro- 
phets of  old  did,  yea,  that  Jesus  Christ  himself  did  in  the 
23d  of  Matthew,  Ye  serpents,  ye  generation  of  vipers,  &c. 
and  other  places ;  and  that  not  only  when  they  are  speak- 
ing to  the  people,  but  also  to  their  brethren  in  the  minis- 
try. Which  princi23le  is  absurd,  because  it  makes  no  dif- 
ference in  the  different  degrees  and  orders  of  messengers 
that  God  has  sent  into  the  world,  though  God  has  made 
a  very  great  difference  ;  for  though  they  all  come  in  some 
respect  in  the  name  of  God,  and  with  something  of  his 
authority,  yet  certainly  there  is  a  vast  difference  in  the 
degree  of  authority  with  which  God  has  invested  them. 
Jesus  Christ  was  one  that  was  sent  into  the  world  as 
God's  messenger,  and  so  was  one  of  his  apostles,  and  so 
also  is  an  ordinary  pastor  of  a  church  :  but  yet  it  does  not 
follow  that  because  Jesus  Christ  and  an  ordinary  minis- 
ter are  both  messengers  of  God,  that  therefore  an  ordi- 
nary minister  in  his  office  is  vested  with  the  same  degree 
of  authority  that  Christ  was  in  his. 

As  there  is  a  great  difference  in  their  authority,  and  as 
Christ  came  as  God's  messenger  in  a  vastly  higher  man- 
ner, so  another  style  became  him,  more  authoritative  than 
is  proper  for  us  worms  of  the  dust,  though  we  also  are 
messengers  of  inferior  degree.  It  would  be  strange  if 
God,  when  he  has  made  so  great  a  difference  in  the  de- 
gree in  which  he  has  invested  different  messengers  with 
his  authority,  should  make  no  difference  as  to  the  outward 
appearance  and  show  of  authority,  in  style  and  behavior, 
which  is  proper  and  fit  to  be  seen  in  them.  Though  God 
has  put  great  honor  upon  ministers,  and  they  may  speak 
as  his  ambassadors,  yet  he  never  intended  that  thev 
15* 


346  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

should  have  the  same  outward  appearance  of  authority 
and  majesty,  either  in  their  behavior  or  speech,  that  his 
Son  shall  have  when  he  comes  to  judgment  at  the  last 
day ;  though  both  come,  in  different  respects  and  degrees, 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  :  alas  !  can  any  thing  ever  make 
it  enter  into  the  hearts  of  worms  of  the  dust  that  it  is  fit 
and  suitable  that  it  should  be  so  ? 

Thus  I  have  considered  the  two  first  of  the  three  causes 
of  error  in  conduct  that  were  mentioned. 

7.  Errors  from  neglect  of  some  things  which  the  devil  im- 
2>roves  to  our  hurt — In  the  inward  experiences  of  chris- 
tians, and  their  external  effects. 

I  come  now  to  the  third  and  last  cause  of  the  errors 
of  those  that  have  appeared  to  be  the  subjects  or  zealous 
promoters  of  this  work,  namely,  being  ignorant  or  un- 
observant OF  SOME  PARTICULAR  THINGS  BY  WHICH  THE 
DEVIL  HAS  SPECIAL    ADVANTAGE. 

And  here  I  would  particularly  notice,  1.  some  things 
with  respect  to  the  inward  experiences  of  christians  them- 
selves, and  2.  something  with  regard  to  the  external 
effects  of  experiences. 

There  are  three  things  I  would  notice  with  regard  to 
the  experiences  of  christians,  by  which  the  devil  has  many 
advantages  against  us. 

1.  The  mixture  there  oftentimes  is  in  the  experiences 
of  true  christians ;  whereby  when  they  have  truly  gra- 
cious experiences  and  divine  and  spiritual  discoveries 
and  exercises,  they  have  something  else  mixed  with 
them  besides  what  is  spiritual :  there  is  a  mixture  of  that 
which  is  natural  and  that  which  is  corrupt  with  that  which 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  347 

is  divine.  This  is  what  christians  are  liable  to  in  the 
present  exceedingly  imperfect  state  :  the  great  imperfec- 
tion of  grace,  the  feebleness  and  infancy  of  the  new  na- 
ture, and  the  great  remains  of  corruption,  together  with 
the  circumstances  we  are  in  in  this  world,  where  we  are 
encompassed  all  around  with  what  tends  to  pollute  us, 
expose  to  this. 

And  indeed  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  christians 
ever  have  any  experiences  in  this  world  that  are  wholly 
pure,  entirely  spiritual,  without  any  mixture  of  what  is 
natural  and  carnal :  the  beam  of  light,  as  it  comes  from 
the  fountain  of  light  upon  our  hearts,  is  pure,  but  as  it  is 
reflected  thence  it  is  mixed :  the  seed,  as  sent  from  heaven 
and  planted  in  the  heart,  is  pure,  but  as  it  springs  up  out 
of  the  heart,  is  impure  ;  yea,  there  is  commonly  a  much 
greater  mixture  than  persons  for  the  most  part  seem  to 
have  any  imagination  of.  I  have  often  thought  that  the 
experiences  of  true  christians  are  very  frequently  as  it  is 
with  some  kinds  of  frui£s  that  are  enveloped  in  several 
coverings  of  thick  shells  or  pods,  which  are  thrown  away 
by  him  that  gathers  the  fruit,  and  but  a  very  small  part 
of  the  whole  bulk  is  the  pure  kernel  that  is  good  to  eat. 

The  things,  of  all  which  there  is  frequently  some  mix- 
ture with  gracious  experiences,  yea,  with  very  great  and 
high  experiences,  are  these  three,  human,  or  natural  af- 
fection and  passion  ;  impressions  on  the  imagination;  and 
a  degree  of  self-righteousness  or  spiritual  pride.  There  is 
very  often  with  that  which  is  spiritual  a  great  mixture  of 
that  affection  or  passion  which  arises  from  natural  prin- 
ciples ;  so  that  nature  shares  largely  in  those  vehement 
motions  and  flights  of  the  passions  that  appear.  Hence 
the  same  degrees  of  divine  communications  from  heaven 


348  THOUGHTS   ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

will  have  vastly  different  effects  in  what  outwardly  ap- 
pears in  persons  of  different  natural  tempers. 

The  great  mixture  of  that  which  is  natural  with  that 
which  is  spiritual,  is  very  manifest  in  the  peculiar  effects 
that  divine  influences  have  in  some  certain  families,  or 
persons  of  such  a  blood,  in  the  peculiar  manner  of  the 
operating  of  the  passions  and  affections,  and  the  manner 
of  the  outward  expression  of  them.  I  know  some  re- 
markable instances  of  this.  The  same  is  also  evident  by 
the  different  effects  of  divine  communications  on  the 
same  person  at  different  times  and  in  different  circum- 
stances :  the  novelty  of  things,  or  the  sudden  transition 
from  an  opposite  extreme,  and  many  other  things  that 
might  be  mentioned,  greatly  contribute  to  the  raising  of 
the  passions. 

And  sometimes  there  is  not  only  a  mixture  of  that 
which  is  common  and  natural  with  gracious  experience, 
but  even  that  which  is  animal,  that  which  is  in  a  great 
measure  from  the  body,  and  is  properly  the  result  of  the 
animal  frame.  In  what  true  christians  feel  of  affections 
towards  God,  all  is  not  always  purely  holy  and  divine; 
every  thing  that  is  felt  in  the  affections  does  not  arise 
from  spiritual  principles,  but  common  and  natural  prin- 
ciples have  a  very  great  influence ;  an  improper  self- 
love  may  have  a  great  share  in  the  effect :  God  is  not 
loved  for  his  own  sake,  or  for  the  excellency  and  beauty 
of  his  own  perfections,  as  he  ought  to  be ;  nor  have  these 
things  in  any  wise  that  proportion  in  the  effect  that  they 
ought  to  have. 

So  in  the  love  that  true  christians  have  one  to  another, 
very  often  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  what  arises  from 
common  and  natural  principles,  with  grace  ;  and  self-love 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  349 

has  a  great  influence  :  the  children  of  God  are  not  loved 
purely  for  Christ's  sake,  but  there  may  be  a  great  mix- 
ture of  that  natural  love  that  many  sects  of  heretics  have 
boasted  of,  w^ho  have  been  greatly  united  one  to  another 
because  they  vv^ere  of  their  company,  on  their  side  against 
the  rest  of  the  world ;  yea,  there  may  be  a  mixture  of 
natural  love,  to  the  opposite  sex,  w^ith  christian  and  di- 
vine love.  So  there  may  be  a  great  mixture  in  that  sor- 
row for  sin  that  the  godly  have ;  and  also  in  their  joys ; 
natural  principles  may  greatly  contribute  to  what  is  felt, 
a  great  many  ways,  as  might  easily  be  shown,  would  it 
not  too  much  extend  my  discourse. 

There  is  nothing  that  belongs  to  christian  experience 
that  is  more  liable  to  a  corrupt  mixture  than  zeal ;  though 
it  be  an  excellent  virtue,  a  heavenly  flame,  when  it  is 
pure  :  but  as  it  is  exercised  in  those  who  are  so  little 
sanctified  and  so  little  humbled  as  we  are  in  the  present 
state,  it  is  very  apt  to  be  mixed  with  human  passion,  yea, 
with  corrupt  hateful  affections,  pride  and  uncharitable 
bitterness,  and  other  things  that  are  not  from  heaven  but 
from  hell. 

Another  thing  that  is  often  mixed  with  what  is  spiritual 
in  the  experiences  of  christians,  is  impressions  on  the 
imagination ;  whereby  godly  persons,  together  with  a 
spiritual  understanding  of  divine  things,  and  conviction 
of  their  reality  and  certainty,  and  a  strong  and  deep  sense 
of  their  excellency  or  great  importance  upon  their  hearts, 
have  strongly  impressed  on  their  minds  external  ideas  or 
images  of  things.  A  degree  of  imagination  in  such  a 
case,  as  I  have  observed  elsewhere,  is  unavoidable,  and 
necessarily  arises  from  human  nature  as  constituted  in 
the  present  state ;  and  a  degree  of  imagination  is  really 


350  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

useful,  and  often  is  of  great  benefit ;  but  when  it  is  in 
too  great  a  degree,  it  becomes  an  impure  mixture  that  is 
prejudicial.  This  mixture  very  often  arises  from  the  con- 
stitution of  the  body.  It  commonly  greatly  contributes 
to  the  other  kind  of  mixture  mentioned  before,  of  natural 
affections  and  passions ;  it  helps  to  raise  them  to  a  great 
height. 

Another  thing  that  is  often  mixed  with  the  experien- 
ces of  true  christians,  which  is  the  worst  mixture  of  all, 
is  a  degree  of  self-righteousness  or  spiritual  pride.  This 
is  often  mixed  with  the  joys  of  christians ;  the  joy  that 
they  have  is  not  purely  the  joy  of  faith,  or  a  rejoicing  in 
Christ  Jesus,  but  is  partly  a  rejoicing  in  themselves  ; 
there  is  oftentimes  in  their  elevations  a  looking  upon 
themselves,  and  a  viewing  of  their  own  high  attainments  ; 
they  rejoice  partly  because  they  are  taken  with  their 
own  experiences  and  great  discoveries,  which  makes 
them  in  their  own  apprehensions  so  to  excel ;  and  this 
heightens  all  their  passions,  and  especially  those  effects 
that  are  more  external. 

There  is  a  much  greater  mixture  of  these  things  in  the 
experiences  of  some  christians  than  others ;  in  some  the 
mixture  is  so  great  as  very  much  to  obscure  and  hide 
the  beauty  of  grace  in  them,  like  a  thick  smoke  that  hin- 
ders all  the  shining  of  the  fire. 

These  things  we  ought  to  be  well  aware  of,  that  we 
may  not  take  all  for  gold  that  glistens,  and  that  we  may 
know  what  to  countenance  and  encourage,  and  what  to 
discourage ;  otherwise  Satan  will  have  a  vast  advantage 
against  us,  for  he  works  in  the  corrupt  mixture.  Some- 
times, for  want  of  persons  distinguishing  the  ore  from  the 
pure  metal,  those  experiences  are  most  admired  by  the 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  351 

persons  themselves  that  are  the  subjects  of  them  and  by 
others,  that  are  not  the  most  excellent.  The  great  ex- 
ternal effects  and  vehemence  of  the  passions,  and  violent 
agitations  of  the  animal  spirits,  are  sometimes  much 
owing  to  the  cori'upt  mixture  (as  is  very  apparent  in  some 
instances,)   though  it  be  not  always  so. 

I  have  observed  a  great  difference  among  those  that 
are  under  high  affections,  and  seem  disposed  to  be  earn- 
estly talking  to  those  that  are  about  them  :  some  insist 
much  more,  in  their  talk,  on  what  they  behold  in  God 
and  Christ,  the  glory  of  the  divine  perfections,  Christ's 
beauty  and  excellency  and  wonderful  condescension  and 
grace,  and  their  own  unworthiness,  and  the  great  and  in- 
finite obligations  that  they  themselves  and  others  are  un- 
der to  love  and  serve  God  :  others  insist  almost  wholly 
on  their  own  high  privileges,  their  assurance  of  God's  love 
and  favor,  and  the  weakness  and  wickedness  of  opposers, 
and  how  much  they  are  above  their  reach.  The  latter  may 
have  much  of  the  presence  of  God,  but  their  experiences 
do  not  appear  to  be  so  solid  and  unmixed  as  the  former. 

And  there  is  a  great  difference  in  persons'  earnestness 
in  their  talk  and  behavior  :  in  some  it  seems  to  come  in- 
deed from  the  fulness  of  their  hearts,  and  from  the  great 
sense  they  have  of  truth,  a  deep  sense  of  the  certainty 
and  infinite  greatness,  excellency  and  importance  of  di- 
vine and  eternal  things,  attended  with  all  appearances 
of  great  humility  :  in  others  their  earnestness  seems  to 
arise  from  a  great  mixture  of  human  passion,  and  an  un- 
due and  intemperate  agitation  of  the  spirits,  which  ap- 
pears by  their  earnestness  and  vehemence  not  being  pro- 
portioned to  the  nature  of  the  subject  they  insist  on,  but 
they  are  violent  in  every  thing  they  say,  as  much  when 


352  THOUGHTS    ON   THE    REVIVAL. 

they  are  talking  of  things  of  smaller  importance  as  v^hen 
speaking  of  things  of  greater  weight.  I  have  seen  it  thus 
in  an  instance  or  two,  in  which  this  vehemence  at  length 
issued  in  distraction.  And  there  have  been  some  few  in- 
stances of  a  more  extraordinary  nature  still,  even  of  per- 
sons finding  themselves  disposed  earnestly  to  talk  and 
cry  out,  from  an  unaccountable  kind  of  bodily  pressure, 
without  any  extraordinary  view  of  any  thing  in  their 
minds,  or  sense  of  any  thing  upon  their  hearts,  wherein 
probably  there  was  the  immediate  agency  of  the  devil. 

2.  Another  thing  by  which  the  devil  has  great  advan- 
tage, is  the  unheeded  defects  there  sometimes  are  in  the 
experiences  of  true  christians,  and  in  those  high  affec- 
tions wherein  there  is  much  that  is  truly  good. 

What  I  now  have  respect  to,  is  something  diverse  from 
the  defect  or  imperfection  of  degree,  which  there  is  in 
every  holy  disposition  and  exercise  in  this  life,  in  the 
best  of  the  saints.  What  I  aim  at  is  experiences  being 
especially  defective  in  some  particular  thing  that  ought 
to  be  in  them ;  which,  though  it  be  not  an  essential  de- 
fect, or  such  a  defect  as  is  in  the  experiences  of  hypo- 
crites, which  renders  them  utterly  vain,  monstrous,  and 
altogether  abominable  to  God,  yet  is  such  a  defect  as 
maims  and  deforms  the  experience  :  the  essence  of  truly 
christian  experiences  is  not  wanting,  but  yet  that  is  want- 
ing which  is  very  needful  in  order  to  the  proper  beauty 
of  the  image  of  Christ  in  such  a  person's  experiences ; 
things  are  very  much  out  of  a  due  proportion  :  there  is 
indeed  much  of  some  things,  but  at  the  same  time  there 
is  so  little  of  some  other  things  that  should  bear  a  pro- 
portion, that  the  defect  very  much  deforms  the  christian, 
and  is  truly  odious  in  the  sight  of  God. 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  353 

What  I  observed  before  was  something  that  deformed 
the  christian,  as  it  was  too  much,  something  mixed,  that 
is,  not  belonging  to  the  christian  as  such  ;  what  I  speak 
of  now  is  something  that  deforms  the  christian  the  other 
way,  by  there  not  being  enougJit  something  wanting,  that 
does  belong  to  the  christian  as  such :  the  one  deforms 
the  christian  as  a  monstrous  excrescence ;  the  other  as 
thereby  the  new  creature  is  maimed,  and  some  member 
is  in  a  great  measure  wanting,  or  is  so  small  and  wither- 
ing as  to  be  very  much  out  of  due  proportion.  This  is 
another  spiritual  calamity  that  the  saints  are  liable  to, 
through  the  great  imperfection  of  grace  in  this  life ;  like 
the  chicken  in  the  egg,  in  the  beginning  of  its  forma- 
tion, in  which,  though  there  are  indeed  the  rudiments  or 
lineaments  of  all  the  parts,  yet  some  few  parts  are  plain  to 
be  seen,  when  others  are  hid,  so  that  without  a  micro- 
scope it  appears  very  monstrous. 

When  this  deficiency  and  disproportion  is  great,  as 
sometimes  it  is  in  real  saints,  it  is  not  only  a  great  de- 
formity in  itself,  but  has  many  ill  consequences  :  it  gives 
the  devil  great  advantage,  and  leaves  a  door  open  for 
corruption,  and  exposes  to  very  deformed  and  unlove- 
ly actions,  and  issues  often  in  the  great  wounding  of 
the  soul. 

For  the  better  understanding  of  this  matter,  we  may 
observe  that  God,  in  the  revelation  that  he  has  made  of 
himself  to  the  world  by  Jesus  Christ,  has  taken  care  to 
give  a  proportionable  manifestation  of  two  kinds  of  ex- 
cellencies or  perfections  of  his  nature,  namely,  those  that 
especially  tend  to  possess  us  with  awe  and  reverence, 
and  to  search  and  humble  us  ;  and  those  that  tend  to 
win,  and  draw,  and  encourage  us  :  by  the  one,  he  ap- 


354  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

pears  as  an  infinitely  great,  pure,  holy,  and  heart-search 
ing  judge ;  by  the  other ^  as  a  gentle  and  gracious  father 
and  a  loving  friend  :  by  the  one  he  is  a  pure,  searching, 
and  burning  flame  ;  by  the  other,  a  sweet  refreshing  light. 

These  two  kinds  of  attributes  are,  as  it  were,  admira- 
bly tempered  together  in  the  revelation  of  the  Gospel ; 
there  is  a  proportionable  manifestation  of  justice  and 
mercy,  holiness  and  grace,  majesty  and  gentleness,  autho- 
rity and  condescension.  God  hath  thus  ordered  that  his 
diverse  excellencies,  as  he  reveals  himself  in  the  face  of 
Jesus  Christ,  should  have  a  proportionable  manifestation, 
herein  providing  for  our  necessities.  He  knew  it  to  be  of 
great  consequence  that  our  apprehensions  of  these  diverse 
perfections  of  his  nature  should  be  duly  proportioned  one 
to  another :  a  defect  on  the  one  hand,  having  much  of  a 
discovery  of  his  love  and  grace  without  a  proportionable 
discovery  of  his  awful  majesty  and  his  holy  and  search- 
ing purity,  would  tend  to  spiritual  pride,  carnal  confidence 
and  presumption ;  and  a  defect  on  the  other  hand,  having 
much  of  a  discovery  of  his  holy  majesty  without  a  pro- 
portionable discovery  of  his  grace,  tends  to  unbelief,  a 
sinful  fearfulness  and  spirit  of  bondage,  and  therefore 
herein  chiefly  consists  that  deficiency  of  experiences  that 
I  am  now  speaking  of. 

The  revelation  God  has  made  of  himself  in  his  word, 
and  the  provision  made  for  our  spiritual  welfare  in  the 
Gospel  is  perfect,  but  yet  the  actual  light  and  communi- 
cations we  have  are  not  perfect,  but  many  ways  exceed- 
ing imperfect  and  maimed.  And  experience  plainly  shows 
that  christians  may  have  high  experiences  in  some  re- 
spects, and  yet  their  circumstances  may  be  unhappy  in  this 
respect,  that  their  experiences  and  discoveries  are  no  more 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  2t&9i 

general.  There  is  a  great  difference  among  christians  in 
this  respect ;  some  have  much  more  general  discoveries 
than  others,  who  yet  are,  upon  many  accounts,  the  most 
amiable  christians. 

Christians  may  have  experiences  that  are  very  high, 
and  yet  there  may  be  very  much  of  this  deficiency  and 
disproportion ;  their  high  experiences  are  truly  from  the 
Spirit  of  Grod,  but  sin  comes  in  by  this  defect,  (as  indeed 
all  sin  is  originally  from  a  defective  privative  cause.)  In 
such  a  case,  high  discoveries,  at  the  same  time  that  they 
are  enjoyed,  may  be,  and  sometimes  are  the  occasion  or 
causa  sine  qua  non  of  sin ;  sin  may  come  in  at  that  back 
door,  the  gap  that  is  left  open,  as  spiritual  pride  often 
does  :  and  many  times  the  Spirit  of  God  is  quenched  by 
this  means,  and  God  punishes  the  pride  and  presumption 
that  rises,  by  bringing  such  darkness,  and  suffering  such 
awful  consequences  and  horrid  temptations  as  are  enough 
to  make  one's  hair  stand  on  end  to  hear  them.  Christians 
therefore  should  diligently  observe  their  own  hearts  as 
to  this  matter,  and  should  pray  to  God  that  he  would 
give  us  experiences  in  which  one  thing  may  bear  a  pro- 
portion to  another,  that  God  may  be  honored  and  their 
souls  edified  thereby ;  and  ministers  should  have  an  eye 
to  this  in  their  private  dealings  with  the  souls  of  their 
people. 

It  is  chiefly  from  such  a  defect  of  experiences  that  some 
things  have  arisen  that  have  been  pretty  common  among 
true  christians  of  late,  which  have'  been  supposed  by 
many  to  have  risen  from  a  good  cause,  as  particularly  talk- 
ing of  divine  and  heavenly  things,  and  expressing  divine 
joys  with  laughter  or  a  light  behavior.  I  believe,  in  many 
instances,  such  things  have  arisen  from  a  good  cause,  as 


356  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

their  causa  sine  quanon,  that  high  discoveries  and  gracious 
joyful  affections  have  been  the  occasion  of  them  ;  but  the 
proper  cause  has  been  sin,  even  that  odious  defect  in  their 
experience  whereby  there  has  been  v\^anting  a  sense  of 
the  awful  and  holy  majesty  of  God  as  present  with  them, 
and  their  nothingness  and  vileness  before  him,  propor- 
tionable to  the  sense  they  have  had  of  God's  grace  and 
the  love  of  Christ.  And  the  same  is  true  in  many  cases 
of  persons'  unsuitable  boldness,  their  disposition  to  speak 
with  authority,  their  intemperate  zeal,  and  many  other 
things  that  sometimes  appear  in  true  christians  under 
great  religious  affections. 

And  sometimes  the  vehemence  of  the  motion  of  the 
animal  spirits  under  great  affections  is  owing,  in  consi- 
derable measure,  to  experiences  being  thus  partial.  I  have 
known,  in  several  instances,  that  persons  have  been 
greatly  affected  with  the  dying  love  of  Christ,  and  the 
consideration  of  the  happiness  of  the  enjoyment  of  him 
in  heaven,  and  other  things  of  that  nature,  and  their  ani- 
mal spirits  at  the  same  time  have  been  in  a  great  emo- 
tion :  but  in  the  midst  of  it  they  have  had  given  them  a 
deep  sense  of  the  awful,  holy  majesty  of  God,  and  it  has 
at  once  composed  them  and  quieted  animal  nature  with- 
out diminishing  their  comfort,  but  only  making  it  of  a 
better  and  more  solid  nature :  when  they  have  had  a 
sense  both  of  the  majesty  and  grace  of  God,  one  thing 
has,  as  it  were,  balanced  another,  and  caused  a  more 
happy  sedateness  and  composure  of  body  and  mind. 

From  these  things  we  may  learn  how  to  judge  of  ex- 
periences, and  to  estimate  their  goodness.  Those  are  not 
always  the  best  experiences  that  are  attended  with  the 
most  violent  affections  and  most  vehement  motions  of  the 


i 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  357 

animal  spirits,  or  that  have  the  greatest  effects  on  the 
body  ;  nor  are  they  always  the  best  that  most  dispose 
persons  to  abound  in  talk  to  others,  and  to  speak  in  the 
most  vehement  manner,  (though  these  things  often  arise 
from  the  greatness  of  spiritual  experiences  :)  but  those 
are  the  most  excellent  experiences  that  are  qualified  as 
follows  : 

1.  That  have  the  least  mixture,  or  are  the  most  purely 
spiritual. 

2.  That  are  the  least  deficient  and  partial,  in  which  the 
diverse  things  that  appertain  to  christian  experience  are 
proportionable  one  to  another  :  and, 

3.  That  are  raised  to  the  highest  degree  ;  it  is  no  mat- 
ter how  high  they  are  raised,  if  they  are  qualified  as  before 
mentioned — the  higher  the  better.  Experiences  thus  qua- 
lified will  be  attended  with  the  most  amiable  behavior, 
and  will  bring  forth  the  most  solid  and  sweet  fruits,  and 
will  be  the  most  durable,  and  will  have  the  greatest  effect 
on  the  abiding  temper  of  the  soul. 

If  God  is  pleased  to  carry  on  this  work,  and  it  should 
prove  to  be  the  dawning  of  a  general  revival  of  the  chris- 
tian church,  it  may  be  expected  that  the  time  will  come 
before  long,  when  the  experiences  of  christians  shall  be 
much  more  generally  thus  qualified.  We  must  expect 
green  fruits  before  we  have  ripe  ones.  It  is  probable  that 
hereafter  the  discoveries  which  the  saints  shall  have  of 
divine  things,  will  be  in  a  much  higher  degree  than  yet 
have  been,  but  yet  shall  be  so  ordered  by  an  infinitely 
wise  and  all-sufficient  God,  that  they  shall  not  have  so 
great  an  effect  in  proportion  on  the  body,  and  will  be  less 
oppressive  to  nature  ;  and  that  the  outward  manifesta- 
tions will  rather  be  like  those  in  Stephen,  when  he  was 


358  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  when  all  that  sat  in  the  council, 
looking  steadfastly  on  him,  saw  his  face,  as  it  had  been  the 
face  of  an  angel.  Their  inward  fulness  of  the  Spirit  of 
Grod,  in  his  divine,  amiable,  and  sweet  influences,  shall, 
as  it  were,  shine  forth  in  a  heavenly  aspect,  and  manner 
of  speech  and  behavior.  But, 

3.  There  is  another  thing  concerning  the  experiences 
of  christians,  of  which  it  is  of  yet  greater  importance 
that  we  should  be  aware  than  either  of  the  preceding, 
and  that  is  the  degenerating  of  experiences.  What  I  mean 
is  something  diverse  from  the  mere  decay  of  experiences, 
or  their  gradually  vanishing,  by  persons  losing  their  sense 
of  things  :  it  is  persons'  experiences  growing  by  degrees 
worse  and  worse  in  their  kind,  more  and  more  partial 
and  deficient,  in  which  things  are  more  out  of  due  pro- 
portion, and  also  have  more  and  more  of  a  corrupt  mix- 
ture ;  the  spiritual  part  decreases,  and  the  other  useless 
and  hurtful  parts  greatly  increase.  There  is  such  a  thing, 
and  it  is  very  frequent,  as  experience  abundantly  evi- 
dences :  I  have  seen  it  in  very  many  instances ;  and  great 
are  the  mischiefs  that  have  arisen  through  want  of  being 
more  aware  of  it. 

There  is  commonly,  as  I  observed  before,  in  high  ex- 
periences, besides  that  which  is  spiritual,  a  mixture  of 
three  things  :  natural  or  common  affections,  workings  of 
the  imagination,  and  a  degree  of  self-righteousness  or 
spiritual  pride.  Now  it  often  comes  to  pass,  that  through 
persons  not  distinguishing  the  wheat  from  the  chaff,  and 
for  want  of  watchfulness  and  humble  jealousy  of  them- 
selves, and  laying  great  weight  on  the  natural  and  ima- 
ginary part,  and  yielding  to  it  and  indulging  it,  that  part 
grows  and  increases,  and  the  spiritual  part  decreases  ;  the 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  35'9 

devil  sets  in  and  works  in  the  corrupt  part,  and  cherishes 
it  to  his  utmost ;  until  at  length  the  experiences  of  some 
persons  who  began  well,  come  to  but  little  else  but  vio- 
lent motions  of  carnal  affections,  with  great  heats  of  the 
imagination,  and  a  great  degree  of  enthusiasm  and  swell- 
ing of  spiritual  pride  ;  very  much  like  some  fruits  which 
bud,  blossom  and  kernel  well,  but  afterwards  are  blasted 
with  an  excess  of  moisture ;  so  that  though  the  bulk  is 
monstrously  great,  yet  there  is  little  else  in  it  but  what 
is  useless  and  unwholesome.  It  appears  to  me  very  pro- 
bable that  many  of  the  heresies  that  have  arisen  and  sects 
that  have  appeared  in  the  christian  world,  in  one  age  and 
another,  with  wild  enthusiastical  notions  and  practices, 
began  at  first  by  this  means  :  that  it  was  such  a  degene- 
rating of  experiences  that  first  gave  rise  to  them,  or  at 
least  led  the  way  to  them. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  world  that  so  much  exposes  to 
this  degenerating  of  experiences  as  an  unheeded  spiritual 
pride  and  self-confidence,  and  persons  being  conceited 
of  their  own  attainments,  without  a  humble,  daily,  and 
continued  dependence  on  God.  And  this  very  thing 
seems  to  be  typified  of  old,  by  the  corrupting  of  the 
manna.  Some  of  the  children  of  Israel,  because  they 
had  gathered  a  store  of  manna,  trusted  in  it,  there  being, 
as  they  apprehended,  sufiicient  in  the  store  they  had 
gathered  and  laid  up,  without  humbly  looking  to  heaven 
and  stooping  to  the  earth  for  daily  supplies;  and  the 
consequence  was,  that  their  manna  bred  worms  and 
stank.  Exod.  16  :  20.  Pride,  above  all  things,  promotes 
this  degeneracy  of  experiences,  because  it  grieves  and 
quenches  the  Spirit  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  so  kills 
the   spiritual   part ;    and   it  cherishes  the  natural  part, 


360  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

inflames  the  carnal  affections,  and  heats  the  imagina- 
tion. 

The  unhappy  person  that  is  the  subject  of  such  a  de- 
generacy of  experiences,  for  the  most  part  is  not  sensible 
of  his  own  calamity ;  but  because  he  finds  himself  still 
violently  moved  vv^ith  greater  heats  of  zeal  and  more  ve- 
hement motions  of  his  animal  spirits,  thinks  himself  fuller 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  than  ever.  But  indeed  it  is  v^^ith 
him,  as  the  apostle  says  of  the  Galatians,  Gal.  3  :  3, 
"  Having  begun  in  the  Spirit,  they  are  made  perfect  by 
the  flesh." 

By  the  mixture  there  is  of  common  affection  with  love 
to  God,  the  love  of  true  christians  is  liable  to  degenerate, 
and  to  be  more  and  more  built  on  the  foundation  of  a 
supposition  of  their  being  his  high  and  peculiar  favorites, 
and  less  and  less  on  an  apprehension  of  the  excellency 
of  God's  nature,  as  he  is  in  himself.  So  the  joy  of  chris- 
tians, by  reason  of  the  mixture  there  is  with  spiritual  joy, 
is  liable  to  degenerate,  and  to  come  at  last  to  be  little 
else  but  joy  in  self,  joy  in  a  person's  own  supposed  emi- 
nency  and  distinction  from  others  in  the  favor  of  God. 
So  zeal,  that  at  first  might  be  in  a  great  part  spiritual, 
yet,  through  the  mixture  there  is  in  a  long  continuance 
of  opposition  and  conti'oversy,  may  degenerate  more  and 
more  into  human  and  proud  passion,  and  may  come  to 
bitterness,  and  even  a  degree  of  hatred. 

And  so  love  to  the  brethren  may  by  degrees  come  to 
little  else  but  fondness  and  zeal  for  a  party ;  yea,  through 
a  mixture  of  a  natural  love  to  the  opposite  sex,  may  de- 
generate more  and  more  until  it  issues  in  that  which  is 
criminal  and  gross.  And  I  leave  it  with  those  who  are 
better  acquainted  with  ecclesiastical  history  to  inquire 


THINGS    TO    BE   AVOIDED.  361 

whether  such  a  degeneracy  of  affections  as  this  might 
not  be  the  first  thing  that  led  the  way  and  gave  occasion 
to  the  rise  of  the  abominable  notions  of  some  sects  that 
have  arisen,  concerning  the  community  of  women.  How- 
ever that  is,  yet  certainly  the  mutual  embraces  and  kisses 
of  persons  of  different  sexes,  under  the  notion  of  chris- 
tian love  and  holy  kisses,  are  utterly  to  be  disallowed,  as 
having  the  most  direct  tendency  quickly  to  turn  christian 
love  into  unclean  and  brutish  lust,  which  will  not  be  the 
better,  but  ten  times  the  worse,  for  being  christened  by 
the  name  of  christian  love. 

I  should  also  think  it  advisable  that  meetings  of  young 
people,  of  both  sexes,  in  the  evening,  by  themselves, 
without  a  minister  or  any  elder  people  amongst  them,  for 
religious  exercises,  should  be  avoided  ;  for  though  for 
the  present,  while  their  minds  are  greatly  solemnized 
with  lively  impressions  and  a  deep  sense  of  divine  things, 
there  may  appear  no  ill  consequences,  yet  we  must  look 
to  the  further  end  of  things,  and  guard  against  future 
dangers  and  advantages  that  Satan  might  gain  against 
us.  As  a  lively,  solemn  sense  of  divine  things  on  the 
minds  of  young  persons  may  gradually  decay,  so  there 
will  be  danger  that  an  ill  improvement  of  these  meetings 
may  gradually  prevail ;  if  not  in  any  unsuitable  behavior 
v/hile  together  in  the  meeting,  yet  when  they  break  up  to 
go  home,  they  may  naturally  consort  together  in  couples 
for  other  than  religious  purposes  ;  and  it  may  at  last  come 
to  that,  that  young  persons  may  go  to  such  meetings, 
chiefly  for  the  sake  of  such  an  opportunity  for  company 
keeping. 

The  defect  there  sometimes  is  in  the  experiences  of 
christians   exposes  them   to  degenerate,  as  well   as  the 

Revival  of  Rel.  \^ 


362  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

mixture  tliat  they  have.  Deficient  maimed  experiences 
sometimes  become  more  and  more  so  :  the  mind  being 
w^holly  intent  upon  those  things  that  are  in  viev\^,  and 
those  that  are  most  w^anting  being  neglected,  there  is  less 
and  less  of  them,  and  so  the  gap  for  corruption  to  come 
in  grows  wider  and  wider.  And  commonly  both  these 
causes  of  the  degenerating  of  experiences  operate  to- 
gether. 

We  had  need  to  be  jealous  over  ourselves  with  a  godly 
jealousy,  as  the  apostle  was  over  the  christian  Corin- 
thians, lest  by  any  means,  as  the  serpent  beguiled  Eve 
through  his  subtlety,  so  our  minds  should  be  corrupted 
from  the  simplicity  that  is  in  Christ.  God  indeed  w411 
never  suffer  his  true  saints  totally  and  finally  to  fall  away, 
but  yet  he  may  punish  their  pride  and  self-confidence,  by 
suffering  them  to  be  long  led  into  a  dreadful  wilderness 
by  the  subtle  serpent,  to  the  great  wounding  of  their 
own  souls  and  the  interest  of  religion. 

And  before  I  dismiss  this  head  of  the  degenerating  of 
exjDeriences,  I  would  mention  one  thing  more  that  tends 
to  it ;  and  that  is,  persons  aiming  in  their  experience  to 
go  beyond  the  rule  of  God's  word,  aiming  at  that  wliicJi 
is  indeed,  in  some  respects,  beyond  the  rule.  Thus  some 
persons  have  endeavored  utterly  to  root  out  and  abolish 
all  natural  affection,  or  any  special  affection  or  respect  to 
their  near  relations,  under  a  notion  that  no  other  love 
ought  to  be  allowed  but  spiritual  love,  and  that  all  other 
love  is  to  be  abolished  as  carnal,  and  that  it  becomes 
christians  to  love  none  upon  the  account  of  any  thing  else 
but  the  image  of  God ;  and  that  therefore  love  should  go 
out  to  one  and  another  only  in  the  proportion  in  which 
the  image  of  God  is  seen  in  them.     They  might  as  well 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  363 

argue  that  a  man  ought  utterly  to  disallow  of  and  en- 
deavor to  abolish  all  love  or  appetite  to  his  daily  food, 
under  a  notion  that  it  is  a  carnal  appetite,  and  that  no 
other  appetite  should  be  tolerated  but  spiritual  appetites. 
Why  should  the  saints  strive  after  that,  as  a  high  attain- 
ment in  holiness,  which  the  apostle,  in  Rom.  1  :  31,  men- 
tions as  one  instance  wherein  the  heathen  had  got  to  the 
most  horrid  pass  in  wickedness,  a  being  without  natural 
affection  ? 

Some  have  doubted  whether  they  might  pray  for  the 
conversion  and  salvation  of  the  souls  of  their  children 
any  more  than  for  the  souls  of  others  ;  because  the  salva- 
tion of  the  souls  of  others  would  be  as  much  to  God's 
glory  as  the  salvation  of  their  children ;  and  they  have 
supposed  that  to  pray  most  for  their  own  would  show  a 
selfish  disposition.  So  they  have  been  afraid  to  tolerate 
a  compassionate  grief  and  concern  for  their  nearest 
friends,  for  fear  it  would  be  an  argument  of  want  of  re- 
signation to  God. 

And  it  is  true,  there  is  great  danger  of  persons  setting 
their  hearts  too  much  upon  their  earthly  friends :  our 
love  to  earthly  friends  ought  to  be  under  the  government 
of  the  love  of  God,  and  should  be  attended  with  a  spirit 
of  submission  and  resignation  to  his  will,  and  every  thing 
should  be  subordinated  to  his  glory  :  but  that  is  no  argu- 
ment that  these  affections  should  be  entirely  abolished, 
which  the  Creator  of  the  world  hag  put  within  mankind 
for  the  good  of  mankind,  and  because  he  saw  they  would 
be  needful  for  them  as  they  must  be  united  in  society  in 
the  present  state,  and  are  of  great  use  when  kept  in  their 
proper  place ;  and  to  endeavor  totally  to  root  them  out, 
would  be  to  reproach   and  oppose  the  wisdom  of  the 


364  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

Creator.  Nor  is  the  existence  of  these  natural  inclina- 
tions, if  v^ell  regulated,  inconsistent  with  any  part  of  our 
duty  to  God,  or  any  argument  of  a  sinful  selfishness,  any 
more  than  the  natural  abhorrence  there  is  in  the  human 
nature  of  pain  and  the  natural  inclination  to  ease  that 
was  in  the  man  Christ  Jesus  himself. 

It  is  the  duty  of  parents  to  be  more  concerned,  and  to 
pray  more  for  the  salvation  of  their  children  than  for  the 
children  of  their  neighbors ;  as  much  as  it  is  the  duty  of 
a  minister  to  be  more  concerned  for  the  salvation  of  the 
souls  of  his  flock,  and  to  pray  more  for  them  than  those 
of  other  congregations,  because  they  are  committed  to  his 
care.  So  our  near  friends  are  more  committed  to  our 
care  than  others,  and  our  near  neighbors  than  those  that 
live  at  a  great  distance  ;  and  the  people  of  our  land  and 
nation  are  more  in  some  sense  committed  to  our  care 
than  the  people  of  China,  and  we  ought  to  pray  more  for 
them,  and  to  be  more  concerned  that  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  should  flourish  among  them  than  in  another  coun- 
try, where  it  would  be  as  much  and  no  more  for  the 
glory  of  God. 

Compassion  ought  to  be  especially  exercised  towards 
friends.  Job,  6  :  14.  Christ  did  not  frown  upon  a  special 
affection  and  compassion  for  near  friends,  but  counte- 
nanced and  encouraged  it,  from  time  to  time,  in  those 
that  in  the  exercise  of  such  an  affection  and  compassion 
applied  to  him  for  relief  for  their  friends ;  as  in  the  in- 
stance of  the  woman  of  Canaan,  Jairus,  Mary  and  Mar- 
tha, the  centurion,  the  widow  of  Nain,  and  many  others. 
The  apostle  Paul,  though  a  man  as  much  resigned  and 
devoted  to  God  and  under  the  power  of  his  love  per- 
haps as  any  mere  man  that  ever  lived,  yet  had  a  peculiar 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  365 

concern  for  his  countrymen  the  Jews,  the  rather  on  this 
account,  that  they  were  his  brethren  and  kinsmen  according 
to  the  flesh  ;  he  had  a  very  high  degree  of  compassionate 
grief  for  them,  insomuch  that  he  tells  us  he  had  great 
heaviness  and  continual  sorrow  of  heart  for  them,  and 
could  wish  himself  accursed  from  Christ  for  them. 

There  are  many  things  that  are  proper  for  the  saints 
in  heaven,  that  are  not  suitable  to  the  state  God  has  set 
us  in  in  this  world :  and  for  christians,  in  these  and 
other  instances,  to  affect  to  go  beyond  the  present  state 
of  mankind  and  what  God  has  appointed  as  fit  for  it,  is 
an  instance  of  that  which  the  wise  man  calls  a  heing 
righteous  over7nuch,  and  has  a  tendency  to  open  a  door  for 
Satan,  and  to  cause  religious  affections  to  degenerate  in- 
to something  very  unbecoming  christians. 

Thus  I  have,  as  I  proposed,  noticed  some  things  with 
regard  to  the  inward  experiences  of  christians,  by  which 
Satan  has  an  advantage. 

I  now  proceed  in  the  second  place  to  notice  something 
with  regard  to  the  external  effects  of  experiences,  which 
also  gives  Satan  an  advantage.  What  I  have  respect  to 
is  the  secret  and  unaccountable  influence  that  custom 
has  upon  persons,  with  respect  to  the  external  effects  and 
manifestations  of  the  inward  affections  of  the  mind.  By 
custom,  I  mean  both  a  person's  being  accustomed  to  a 
thing  in  himself,  in  his  own  common,  allowed,  and  in- 
dulged practice,  and  also  the  countenance  and  approba- 
tion of  others  amongst  whom  he  dwells,  by  their  general 
voice  and  practice.  It  is  well  known,  and  appears  suffi- 
ciently by  what  I  have  said  already  in  this  treatise  and 
elsewhere,  that  I  am  far  from  ascribing  all  the  late  un- 
common effects  and  outward  manifestations  of  inward 


366  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

experiences  to  custom  and  fashion,  as  some  do  ;  I  know 
it  to  be  otherwise,  if  it  be  possible  for  me  to  know  any- 
thing of  this  nature  by  the  most  critical  observation, 
under  all  manner  of  opportunities  of  observing.  But  yet 
this  also  is  exceedingly  evident  by  experience,  that  cus- 
tom has  a  strange  influence  in  these  things  :  I  know  it  by 
the  different  manners  and  degrees  of  exteiTial  effects  and 
manifestations  of  great  affections  and  high  discoveries  in 
different  towns,  according  to  what  persons  are  gradually 
led  into,  and  insensibly  habituated  to  by  example  and  cus- 
tom ;  and  also  in  the  same  place,  at  different  times,  ac- 
cording to  the  conduct  that  they  have  :  if  some  person  is 
among  them  to  conduct  them,  that  much  countenances  and 
encourages  such  kind  of  outward  manifestations  of  great 
affections,  they  naturally  and  insensibly  prevail,  and  grow 
by  degrees  unavoidable  ;  but  when  afterwards  they  come 
under  another  kind  of  conduct,  the  manner  of  external 
appearances  will  strangely  alter :  and  yet  it  seems  to  be 
without  any  proper  design  or  contrivance  of  those  in 
whom  there  is  this  alteration ;  it  is  not  properly  affected 
by  them,  but  the  influence  of  example  and  custom  is  se- 
cret and  insensible  to  the  persons  themselves. 

These  things  have  a  vast  influence  in  the  manner  of 
persons  manifesting  their  joys,  whether  with  smiles  or  an 
air  of  lightness,  or  with  more  solemnity  and  reverence ; 
and  so  they  have  a  great  influence  as  to  the  disposition 
persons  have,  under  high  affections,  to  abound  in  talk  ; 
and  also  as  to  the  manner  of  their  speaking,  the  loudness 
and  vehemence  of  their  speech  ;  (though  it  would  be  ex- 
ceedingly unjust,  and  against  all  the  evidence  of  fact  and 
experience  and  the  reason  of  things,  to  lay  all  disposi- 
tions persons  have  to  be  much  in  speaking  to  others,  and 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED,  367 

to  speak  in  a  very  earnest  manner,  to  custom.)  It  is 
manifest  that  example  and  custom  have  some  way  or 
other  a  secret  and  indefinable  influence  on  those  actions 
that  are  involuntary,  by  the  difference  that  there  is  in 
different  places,  and  in  the  same  places  at  different  times, 
according  to  the  diverse  examples  and  conduct  that 
they  have. 

Therefore,  though  it  would  be  very  unreasonable,  and 
prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  religion,  to  frown  upon  all 
these  extraordinary  external  effects  and  manifestations 
of  great  religious  affections  (for  a  measure  of  them  is 
natural,  necessary  and  beautiful,  and  the  effect  in  no 
wise  disproportioned  to  the  spiritual  cause,  and  is  of 
great  benefit  to  promote  religion,)  yet  I  think  they  greatly 
err  who  think  that  these  things  should  be  wholly  unli- 
mited, and  that  all  should  be  encouraged  in  going  in 
these  things  to  the  utmost  length  that  they  feel  themselves 
inclined  to.    The  consequence  of  this  will  be  very  bad. 

There  ought  to  be  a  gentle  restraint  held  upon  these 
things,  and  a  prudent  care  should  be  taken  of  persons  in 
such  extraordinary  circumstances ;  they  should  be  mode- 
rately advised,  at  proper  seasons,  not  to  make  more  ado 
than  there  is  need  of,  but  rather  to  hold  a  restraint  upon 
their  inclinations  :  otherwise  extraordinary  outward  ef- 
fects will  grow  u23on  them,  they  will  be  more  and  more 
natural  and  unavoidable,  and  the  extraordinary  outward 
show  will  increase,  without  any  iiicrease  of  the  internal 
cause ;  persons  will  find  themselves  under  a  kind  of  ne- 
cessity of  making  a  great  ado,  with  less  and  less  affection 
of  soul,  until  at  length  almost  any  slight  emotion  will  set 
them  going,  and  they  will  be  more  and  more  violent  and 
boisterous,  and  will  grow  louder  and  louder,  until  their 


36S  THOUGUTS    ON    THE     REVIVAL. 

actions  and  behavior  become  indeed  very  absurd.    These 
things  experience  proves. 

Thus  I  have  noticed  the  more  general  causes  whence 
the  errors  that  have  attended  this  great  revival  of  religion 
have  risen,  and  under  each  head  have  observed  some 
particular  errors  that  have  flowed  from  these  fountains. 

8.  Some  particular  errors  icldcli  have  arisen  from  several 
of  the  ahovementioned  causes — Censuring  others  as  micon- 
verted. 

I  now  proceed  as  I  proposed  in  the  second  place,  to 
notice  some  particular  errors  that  have  risen  from  seve- 
ral OF  THESE  CAUSES  j  in  somc  perhaps  they  have  been 
chiefly  owing  to  one,  and  in  others  to  another,  and  in 
others  to  the  influence  of  several,  or  all  conjunctly. 

And  here  the  first  thing  I  would  notice,  is  censuring 
others  that  are  professing  christians,  in  good  standing  in 
the  visible  church,  as  unconverted.  I  need  not  repeat 
what  I  have  elsewhere  said  to  show  this  to  be  against 
the  plain,  and  frequent,  and  strict  prohibitions  of  the 
word  of  God  :  it  is  the  worst  disease  that  has  attended 
this  work,  most  contrary  to  the  spirit  and  rules  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  of  the  worst  consequences.  There  is  a 
most  unhappy  tincture  that  the  minds  of  many,  both 
ministers  and  people,  have  received  that  way.  The  man- 
ner of  many  has  been,  when  they  first  enter  into  conver- 
sation with  any  person  that  seems  to  have  any  show  or 
make  any  pretences  to  religion,  to  discern  him,  or  to  fix 
a  judgment  of  him,  from  his  manner  of  talking  of  things 
of  religion,  whether  he  be  converted,  or  experimentally 
acquainted  with  vital  piety  or  not,  and  then  to  treat  him 
accordingly,  and  freely  to  express  their  thoughts  of  him 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  369 

to  Others,  especially  those  that  they  have  a  good  opinion 
of  as  true  christians,  and  accepted  as  brethren  and  com- 
panions in  Christ;  or  if  they  do  not  declare  their  minds 
expressly,  yet  by  their  manner  of  speaking  of  them,  at 
least  to  their  friends,  they  will  show  plainly  what  their 
thoughts  are.  So  when  they  have  heard  any  minister 
pray  or  preach,  their  first  work  has  been  to  obsen-e  hira 
on  a  design  of  discerning  him,  whether  he  be  a  converted 
man  or  no ;  whether  he  prays  like  one  that  feels  the 
saving  power  of  God's  Spirit  in  his  heart,  and  whether 
he  preaches  like  one  that  knows  what  he  says. 

It  has  been  so  much  the  way  in  some  places,  that  many 
new  converts  do  not  know  but  it  is  their  duty  to  do  so ; 
they  know  no  other  way.  And  when  once  persons  yield 
to  such  a  notion,  and  give  in  to  such  a  humor,  they  will 
quickly  grow  very  discerning  in  their  own  apprehension, 
they  think  they  can  easily  -tell  a  hypocrite :  and  when 
once  they  have  passed  their  censure,  every  thing  seems 
to  confirm  it,  they  see  more  and  more  in  the  person  that 
they  have  censured,  that  seems  to  them  to  show  plainly 
that  he  is  an  unconverted  man.  And  then,  if  the  person 
censured  be  a  minister,  every  thing  in  his  public  per- 
formances seems  dead  and  sapless,  and  to  do  them  no 
good  at  all,  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  be  of  deadening  influ- 
ence and  poisonous  to  the  soul ;  yea,  it  seems  worse  and 
worse  to  them,  his  preaching  grows  more  and  more  in- 
tolerable :  which  is  owing  to  a  secret,  strong  prejudice, 
that  steals  in  more  and  more  upon  the  mind,  as  expe- 
rience plainly  and  certainly  shows. 

When  the  Spirit  of  God  was  wonderfully  poured  out 
in  this  place  more  than  seven  years  ago,  and  near  thirty 
souls  in  a  week,  take   one  with  another,  for  five  or  six 

lo* 


570  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

weeks  together,  were  to  appearance  brought  home  to 
Christ,  and  all  the  town  seemed  to  be  alive  and  full  of 
God,  there  was  no  such  notion  or  humor  prevailing  here  ; 
when  ministers  preached  here,  as  very  many  did  at  that 
time,  young  and  old,  our  people  did  not  go  about  to  dis- 
cern whether  they  were  men  of  experience  or  not ;  they 
did  not  know  that  they  must :  Mr.  Stoddard  never  brought 
them  up  in  that  way ;  it  did  not  seem  natural  to  them  to 
go  about  any  thing  of  that  nature,  nor  did  any  such  thing 
enter  into  their  hearts  ;  but  when  any  minister  preached, 
the  business  of  every  one  was  to  listen  and  attend  to 
what  he  said,  and  apply  it  to  his  own  heart,  and  make 
the  utmost  improvement  of  it. 

And  it  is  remarkable,  that  never  did  there  appear  such 
a  disposition  in  the  people  to  relish,  approve  of,  and  ad- 
mire ministers'  preaching  as  at  that  time  :  such  expres- 
sions as  these  were  frequent  in  the  mouths  of  one  and 
another,  on  occasion  of  the  preaching  of  strangers  here  : 
"  That  they  rejoiced  that  there  were  so  many  such  emi- 
nent ministers  in  the  country ;  and  they  wondered  they 
had  never  heard  the  fame  of  them  before  :  they  were 
thankful  that  other  towns  had  so  good  means,"  and  the 
like.  And  scarcely  ever  did  any  minister  preach  here,  but 
his  preaching  did  some  remarkable  service ;  as  I  had  good 
opportunity  to  know,  because  at  that  time  I  had  particular 
acquaintance  with  most  of  the  persons  in  the  town,  in 
their  soul  concerns.  That  it  has  been  so  much  otherwise 
of  late  in  many  places  in  the  land,  is  another  instance  of 
the  secret  and  powerful  influence  of  custom  and  example. 

There  has  been  an  unhappy  disposition  in  some  minis- 
ters toward  their  hrethren  in  the  mimstry  in  this  respect, 
which  has  encouraged  and  greatly  promoted  such  a  spirit 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  371 

among  some  of  their  people.  A  wrong  improvement  has 
been  made  of  Christ's  scourging  the  buyers  and  sellers 
out  of  the  temple  J  it  has  been  expected  by  some  that 
Christ  was  now  about  thus  to  purge  his  house  of  uncon- 
verted ministers,  and  this  has  made  it  more  natural  to 
them  to  think  that  they  should  do  Christ  service,  and  act 
as  co-workers  with  him,  by  exerting  themselves,  and 
endeavoring  by  all  means  to  cashier  those  ministers  that 
they  thought  to  be  unconverted.  Indeed,  it  appears  to 
me  probable  that  the  time  is  coming  when  awful  judg- 
ments will  be  executed  on  unfaithful  ministers,  and  that 
no  sort  of  men  in  the  world  will  be  so  much  exposed  to 
divine  judgments  ,•  but  then  we  should  leave  that  work 
to  Christ,  who  is  the  searcher  of  hearts,  and  to  whom 
vengeance  belongs ;  and  not,  without  warrant,  take  the 
scourge  out  of  his  hand  into  our  own. 

There  has  been  too  much  of  a  disposition  in  some,  as 
it  were  to  give  ministers  over  as  reprobates  that  have 
been  looked  upon  as  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing;  which 
has  tended  to  promote  and  encourage  a  spirit  of  bitter- 
ness towards  them,  and  to  make  it  natural  to  treat  them 
too  much  as  if  they  knew  God  hated  them.  If  God's 
children  knew  that  others  were  reprobates,  it  would  not 
be  required  of  them  to  love  them  ;  we  may  hate  those 
that  we  know  God  hates ;  as  it  is  lawful  to  hate  the  devil, 
and  as  the  saints  at  the  day  of  judgment  will  hate  the 
wicked.  Some  have  been  too  apt  to  look  for  fire  from 
heaven  upon  particular  ministers ;  and  this  has  naturally 
excited  the  disposition  to  call  for  it,  that  Christ  rebuked 
in  his  disciples  at  Samaria.  For  my  part,  though  I  be- 
lieve no  sort  of  men  on  earth  are  so  exposed  to  spiritual 
judgments  as  wicked  ministers,  yet  I  feel  no  disposition 


372  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

to  treat  any  minister  as  if  I  supposed  that  he  was  finally 
rejected  of  God;  for  I  cannot  but  hope  that  there  is 
coming  a  day  of  such  great  grace,  a  time  so  appointed 
for  the  magnifying  of  the  riches  and  sovereignty  of  divine 
mercy  beyond  what  ever  was,  that  a  great  number  of 
unconverted  ministers  will  obtain  mercy. 

There  was  no  class  of  persons  in  Christ's  time  that 
were  so  guilty,  and  so  hardened,  and  towards  whom 
Christ  manifested  such  great  indignation  as  the  priests 
and  scribes,  and  there  were  no  such  persecutors  of  Christ 
and  his  disciples  as  they ;  and  yet  in  the  great  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  that  began  on  the  day  of  pentecost,  though 
it  began  with  the  common  people,  yet  in  the  progress  of 
the  work,  after  a  while,  a  great  compoMy  of  priests  in  Jeru- 
salem were  obedient  to  the  faith,  Acts,  6  :  7.  And  Saul, 
one  of  the  most  violent  of  all  the  persecuting  pharisees, 
became  afterwards  the  greatest  promoter  of  the  work  of 
God  that  ever  was.  I  hope  we  shall  yet  see  in  many  in- 
stances a  fulfilment  of  Isaiah,  29  :  24,  "  They  also  that 
erred  in  spirit  shall  come  to  understanding,  and  they  that 
murmured  shall  learn  doctrine. 

Nothing  has  been  gained  by  this  practice.  The  end 
that  some  have  aimed  at  in  it  has  not  been  obtained,  nor 
is  ever  like  to  be.  Possibly  some  have  openly  censured 
ministers,  and  encouraged  their  people's  uneasiness  un- 
der them,  in  hopes  it  would  soon  come  to  that,  that  the 
uneasiness  would  be  so  general  and  so  great,  that  uncon- 
verted ministers  in  general  would  be  cast  off,  and  that 
then  things  would  go  on  happily ;  but  there  is  no  likeli- 
hood of  it.  The  devil  indeed  has  obtained  his  end  ;  this 
practice  has  bred  a  great  deal  of  unhappiness  among  mi- 
nisters and  people,  has  spoiled  christians'  enjoyment  of 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  373 

Sabbaths,  and  made  them  their  most  uneasy,  uncomfort- 
able and  unprofitable  days,  and  has  stirred  up  great  con- 
tention and  set  all  in  a  flame ;  and  in  one  place  and  ano- 
ther where  there  was  a  glorious  work  of  God's  Spirit  be- 
gun, it  has,  in  a  great  measure,  knocked  all  in  the  head, 
and  their  ministers  hold  their  places. 

Some  have  aimed  at  a  better  end  in  censuring  minis- 
ters ;  they  have  supposed  it  to  be  a  likely  means  to  awaken 

them  :  whereas  indeed  there  is  no  one  thinor  has  had  so 

o 

great  a  tendency  to  prevent  the  awakening  of  disaffected 
ministers  in  general ;  and  no  one  thing  has  actually  had 
such  influence  to  lock  up  the  minds  of  ministers  against 
any  good  eflect  of  this  great  work  of  God  in  the  land 
upon  their  minds  in  this  respect :  I  have  known  instances 
of  some  that  seemed  to  be  much  moved  by  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  this  work,  but  since  have  seemed  to  be 
greatly  deadened  by  what  has  appeared  of  this  nature. 
And  if  there  be  one  or  two  instances  of  ministers  that 
have  been  awakened  by  it,  there  are  ten  to  one  on  whom 
it  has  had  a  contrary  influence.  The  worst  enemies  of  this 
work  have  been  inwardly  eased  by  this  practice ;  they 
have  made  a  shield  of  it  to  defend  their  consciences,  and 
have  been  glad  that  it  has  been  carried  to  so  great  a 
length ;  at  the  same  time  that  they  have  looked  upon  it, 
and  improved  it,  as  a  door  opened  for  them  to  be  more 
bold  in  opposing  the  work  in  general. 

There  is  no  such  dreadful  danger  of  natural  men's  be- 
ing undone  by  our  forbearing  thus  to  censure  them,  and 
treating  them  as  visible  christians  :  it  will  be  no  bloody, 
hell-peopling  charity,  as  some  seem  to  suppose,  when  it 
is  known  that  we  treat  them  as  christians,  not  because 
we  have  taken  it  upon  us  to  pass  a  judgment  on  their 


374  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

State  on  any  trial  or  exercise  of  our  skill  in  examining 
and  discerning  them,  but  only  as  allowing  them  to  be 
worthy  of  a  public  charity  on  their  profession  and  good 
external  behavior,  any  more  than  Judas  was  in  danger  of 
being  deceived  by  Christ's  treating  him  a  long  time  as  a 
disciple,  and  sending  him  forth  as  an  apostle,  because  he 
did  not  then  take  it  upon  him  to  act  as  the  Judge  and 
Searcher  of  hearts,  but  only  as  the  Head  of  the  visible 
church.  Indeed,  such  a  charity  as  this  may  be  abused  by 
some,  as  every  thing  is  and  will  be,  that  is  in  its  own  na- 
ture proper,  and  of  never  so  good  tendency. 

I  say  nothing  against  dealing  thoroughly  with  con- 
science, by  the  most  convincing  and  searching  dispensa- 
tion of  the  word  of  God  :  I  do  not  desire  that  that  sword 
should  be  sheathed,  or  gently  handled  by  ministers ;  but 
let  it  be  used  as  a  two-edged  sword,  to  pierce,  even  to 
the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  of  the  joints  and 
marrow ;  let  conscience  be  dealt  with  without  any  com- 
pliments ;  let  ministers  handle  it  in  flaming  fire,  without 
having  any  more  mercy  on  it  than  the  furnace  has  on 
those  metals  that  are  tried  in  it.  But  let  us  let  men's  per- 
sons alone  :  let  the  word  of  God  judge  them,  but  do  not 
let  us  take  it  upon  us  until  we  have  warrant  for  it. 

Some  have  been  ready  to  censure  ministers  because 
they  seem,  in  comparison  of  some  other  ministers,  to  be 
very  cold  and  lifeless  in  their  ministerial  performances. 
But  then  it  should  be  considered  that,  for  aught  we  know, 
God  may  hereafter  raise  up  ministers  of  so  much  more 
excellent  and  heavenly  qualifications,  and  so  much  more 
spiritual  and  divine  in  their  performances,  that  there  may 
appear  as  great  a  difference  between  them  and  those  that 
now  seem  the  most  lively,  as  there  is  now  between  them 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  375 

and  others  that  are  called  dead  and  sapless  ;  and  those 
that  are  now  called  lively  ministers  may  aj^pear  to  their 
hearers,  when  they  compare  them  with  others  that  shall 
excel  them,  as  wretchedly  mean,  and  their  performances 
poor,  dead,  and  dry ;  and  many  may  be  ready  to  be  pre- 
judiced against  them,  as  accounting  them  good  for  no- 
thing, and  perhaps  calling  them  soul-murderers.  What  a 
poor  figure  may  we  suppose  the  most  lively  of  us,  and 
those  that  are  most  admired  by  the  people,  do  make  in 
the  eyes  of  one  of  the  saints  of  heaven,  any  otherwise 
than  as  their  deadness,  deformity,  and  rottenness  is  hid 
by  the  veil  of  Christ's  righteousness  ] 

Another  thing  that  has  been  supposed  to  be  sufficient 
warrant  for  openly  censuring  ministers  as  unconverted, 
is  their  opposing  this  work  of  God  that  has  lately  been 
carried  on  in  the  land.  And  there  can  be  no  doubt  with 
me  but  that  opposition  against  this  work  may  be  such  as 
to  render  either  ministers  or  people  truly  scandalous,  and 
expose  them  to  public  ecclesiastical  censure  ;  and  that 
ministers  hereby  may  utterly  defeat  the  design  of  their 
ministry,  as  I  observed  before ;  and  so  give  their  people 
just  cause  of  uneasiness.  I  should  not  think  that  any 
person  had  power  to  oblige  me  constantly  to  attend  the 
ministry  of  one  who  did  from  time  to  time  plainly  pray 
and  preach  against  this  work,  or  speak  reproachfully  of 
it  frequently  in  his  public  performances,  after  all  chris- 
tian methods  had  been  used  for  a  remedy,  and  to  no 
purpose. 

But  as  to  determining  how  far  opposing  this  work  is 
consistent  with  a  state  of  grace,  or  how  far  and  for  how 
long  a  time  some  persons  of  good  experience  in  their 
own  souls,  through  prejudices  they  have  received  from 


3'5'6  THOUoaTs  on  the  revival, 

the  errors  that  have  been  mixed  with  this  work,  or 
through  some  peculiar  disadvantages  they  are  under  to 
behold  things  in  a  right  view  of  them,  by  reason  of  the 
persons  they  converse  with,  or  their  own  cold  and  dead 
frames,  it  is,  as  experience  shows,  a  very  difficult  thing : 
I  have  seen  that  which  abundantly  convinces  me  that  the 
business  is  too  high  for  me ;  I  am  glad  that  God  has  not 
committed  such  a  difficult  task  to  me  ;  I  can  joyfully  leave 
it  wholly  in  his  hands  who  is  infinitely  fit  for  it,  without 
meddling  at  all  with  it  myself.  We  may  represent  it  as 
exceeding  dangerous  to  oppose  this  work,  since  for  this 
we  have  good  warrant  in  the  word  of  God  ;  but  I  know 
of  no  necessity  we  are  under  to  determine  whether  it  be 
possible  for  those  that  are  guilty  of  it  to  be  in  a  state  of 
grace. 

God  seems  so  strictly  to  have  forbidden  this  practice 
of  our  judging  our  brethren  in  the  visible  church,  not 
only  because  he  knew  that  we  were  too  much  of  babes, 
infinitely  too  weak,  fallible  and  blind,  to  be  well  capaci- 
tated for  it,  but  also  because  he  knew  that  it  was  not  a 
work  suited  to  our  proud  hearts  ;  that  it  would  be  setting 
us  vastly  too  high,  and  making  us  too  much  lords  over 
our  fellow-creatures.  Judging  our  brethren,  and  passing 
a  condemnatory  sentence  upon  them,  seems  to  carry  in 
it  an  act  of  authority,  especially  in  so  great  a  case,  to 
sentence  them  with  respect  to  the  state  of  their  hearts, 
on  which  depends  their  liableness  to  eternal  damnation  ; 
as  is  evident  by  such  interrogations  as  these  (to  hear 
w^hich  from  God's  mouth  is  enough  to  make  us  shrink 
into  nothing  with  shame  and  confusion,  and  a  sense  of 
our  own  blindness  and  worthlessness,)  Romans,  14  :  4, 
"Who  art  thou  that  judgest  another  man's  servant?    To 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  377 

his  own  master  he  standeth  or  falleth  ;"  and  James,  4  :  12, 
**  There  is  one  lawgiver  that  is  able  to  save  and  to  de- 
stroy;  who  art  thou  that  judgest  another "?"  Our  wise 
and  merciful  Shepherd  has  graciously  taken  care  not  to 
lay  in  our  way  such  a  temptation  to  pride  ;  he  has  cut  up 
all  such  poison  out  of  our  pasture  ;  and  therefore  we 
should  not  desire  to  have  it  restored.  Blessed  be  his 
name,  that  he  has  not  laid  such  a  temptation  in  the  way 
of  my  pride  !  I  know  that  in  order  to  be  fit  for  this  busi- 
ness I  must  not  only  be  vastly  more  knowing,  but  more 
humble  than  I  am. 

Though  I  believe  some  of  God's  own  children  have  of 
late  been  very  guilty  in  this  matter,  yet  by  what  is  said 
of  it  in  the  Scripture,  it  appears  to  me  very  likely,  that 
before  these  things  which  God  has  lately  begun  have  an 
end,  God  will  awfully  rebuke  that  practice  :  may  it  in 
sovereign  and  infinite  mercy  be  prevented,  by  the  deep 
and  open  humiliation  of  those  that  have  openly  prac- 
tised it. 

As  this  practice  ought  to  be  avoided,  so  should  all  such 
open,  visible  marks  of  distinction  and  separation  as  im- 
ply it;  as  particularly  distinguishing  such  as  we  have 
judged  to  be  in  a  converted  state  with  the  appellations 
of  hrotlier  or  sister ;  any  further  than  there  is  a  visible 
ecclesiastical  distinction.  In  those  places  where  it  is  the 
manner  to  receive  such  and  such  only  to  the  communion 
of  the  visible  church,  as  recommend  themselves  by  giv- 
ing a  satisfying  account  of  their  inward  experiences, 
there  christians  may  openly  distinguish  such  persons,  in 
their  speech  and  ordinary  behavior,  with  a  visible  sepa- 
ration, without  being  inconsistent  with  themselves  :  and 
I  say  nothing  now  on  the  question  whether  such  an  ac- 


o/S  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

count  of  experience  be  requisite  to  church  fellov^^ship  : 
but  certainly,  to  admit  persons  to  communion  with  us  as 
brethren  in  the  visible  church,  and  then  visibly  to  reject 
them,  and  to  make  an  open  distinction  between  them  and 
others,  by  different  names  or  appellations,  is  to  be  incon- 
sistent with  ourselves  :  it  is  to  make  a  visible  church 
within  a  visible  church,  and  visibly  to  divide  between 
sheep  and  goats,  setting  one  on  the  right  hand  and  the 
other  on  the  left. 

This  bitter  root  of  censoriousness  must  be  totally 
rooted  out,  as  we  would  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord. 
It  has  nourished  and  upheld  many  other  things  contrary 
to  the  humility,  meekness  and  love  of  the  Gospel.  The 
minds  of  many  have  received  an  unhappy  turn,  in  some 
respects,  with  their  religion :  there  is  a  certain  point  or 
sharpness,  a  disposition  to  a  kind  of  warmth  that  does 
not  savor  of  the  meek,  lamblike,  sweet  disposition  that 
becomes  christians  :  many  have  now  been  so  long  habi- 
tuated to  it  that  they  do  not  know  how  to  get  out  of  it : 
but  we  must  get  out  of  it;  the  point  and  sharpness  must 
be  blunted,  and  we  must  learn  another  way  of  manifest- 
ing our  zeal  for  God. 

There  is  a  way  of  reflecting  on  others,  and  censuring 
them  in  open  prayer,  that  some  have ;  which  though  it 
has  a  fair  show  of  love,  yet  is  indeed  the  boldest  way  of 
reproaching  others  imaginable,  because  there  is  implied 
in  it  an  appeal  to  the  most  high  God  concerning  the 
truth  of  their  censures  ^nd  reflections. 

And  here  I  would  also  observe  by  the  way,  that  some 
have  a  way  of  joining  a  sort  of  imprecations  with  their 
petitions  for  others,  though  but  conditional  ones,  that  ap- 
pear to  me  wholly  needless  and  improper :  they  j^ray 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  37^ 

that  others  may  either  be  converted  or  removed.  I  never 
heard  nor  read  of  any  such  thing  practised  in  the  church 
of  God  until  now,  unless  it  be  w^ith  respect  to  some  of 
the  most  visibly  and  notoriously  abandoned  enemies  of 
the  church  of  God.  This  is  a  sort  of  cursing  men  in  our 
prayers,  adding  a  curse  w^ith  our  blessing;  w^hereas  the 
rule  is,  bless  and  curse  not.  To  pray  that  God  would  kill 
another,  is  to  curse  him  with  the  like  curse  wherewith 
Elisha  cursed  the  children  that  came  out  of  Bethel.  And 
the  case  must  be  very  great  and  extraordinary  indeed  to 
warrant  it,  unless  we  were  prophets,  and  did  not  speak 
our  own  words,  but  words  indited  by  the  immediate  in- 
spiration of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

It  is  pleaded  that  if  God  has  no  design  of  converting 
others,  it  is  best  for  them,  as  well  as  best  for  others,  that 
they  should  be  immediately  taken  away  and  sent  to  hell 
before  they  have  contracted  more  guilt.  To  which  I 
would  say,  that  so  it  was  best  that  those  children  that 
met  Elisha,  seeing  God  had  no  design  of  converting 
them,  should  die  immediately  as  they  did ;  but  yet  Eli- 
sha's  imprecating  that  sudden  death  upon  them,  was 
cursing  them ;  and  therefore,  would  not  have  been  law- 
ful for  one  that  did  not  speak  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
as  a  prophet. 

And  then  if  we  give  way  to  such  things  as  these,  where 
shall  we  stop  1  A  child  that  suspects  he  has  an  uncon- 
verted father  and  mother,  may  pray  openly  that  his  father 
and  mother  may  either  be  converted  or  taken  away  and 
sent  to  hell  now  quickly,  before  their  guilt  is  greater. 
(For  unconverted  parents  are  as  likely  to  poison  the  souls 
of  their  family  in  their  manner  of  training  them  up,  as 
u^iconverted  ministers  are  to  poison  their  people.)    And 


380  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

SO  it  might  come  to  this,  that  it  might  be  a  common  thing 
all  over  the  country  for  children  to  pray  after  this  man- 
ner concerning  their  parents,  and  brothers  and  sisters 
concerning  one  another,  and  husbands  concerning  their 
wives,  and  v^ives  concerning  husbands  ;  and  so  for  per- 
sons to  pray  concerning  all  their  unconverted  fi-iends  and 
neighbors  :  and  not  only  so,  but  we  may  also  pray  con- 
cerning all  those  saints  that  are  not  lively  christians,  that 
they  may  either  be  enlivened  or  taken  away,  if  what  is 
often  said  by  some  at  this  day  be  true,  that  these  cold 
dead  saints  do  more  hurt  than  natural  men,  and  lead 
more  souls  to  hell,  and  that  it  would  be  well  for  mankind 
if  they  were  all  dead. 

How  needless  are  such  petitions  or  imprecations  as 
these  ]  What  benefit  is  there  in  them  1  Why  is  it  not 
sufficient  for  us  to  pray  that  God  would  provide  for  his 
church  and  the  good  of  souls,  and  take  care  of  his  own 
flock,  and  give  it  needful  means  and  advantages  for  its 
spiritual  prosperity  1  Does  God  need  to  be  directed  by 
us  in  what  way  he  shall  do  it  1  What  need  we  ask  of 
God  to  do  it  by  killing  such  and  such  persons,  if  he  does 
not  convert  them  1  Unless  we  delight  in  the  thoughts  of 
God's  answering  us  in  such  terrible  ways,  and  with  such 
awful  manifestations  of  his  wrath  to  our  fellow-creatures. 

And  why  do  not  ministers  direct  sinners  to  pray  for 
themselves,  that  God  would  either  convert  them  or  kill 
them,  and  send  them  to  hell  now  before  their  guilt  is 
greater !  In  this  way  we  should  lead  persons  in  the  next 
place  to  self-murder ;  for  many  probably  would  soon  be- 
gin to  think  that  that  which  they  may  pray  for  they  may 
seek  and  use  the  means  of. 

Soros  with  whom  I  have  discoursed  about  this  way  of 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  381 

praying,  have  said  that  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  it  were, 
forces  them  to  utter  themselves  thus,  as  it  v^ere  forces 
out  such  words  from  their  mouths,  when  otherwise  they 
should  not  dare  to  utter  them.  But  such  a  kind  of  im- 
pulse does  not  look  like  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  The  Spirit  of  God  sometimes  strongly  inclines 
men  to  utter  words  :  but  not  by  putting  expressions  into 
the  mouth,  and  urging  to  utter  them  ;  but  by  filling  the 
heart  with  a  sense  of  divine  things  and  holy  affections  ; 
and  those  affections  and  that  sense  incline  the  mouth  to 
speak.  That  other  way  of  men's  being  urged  to  use  cer- 
tain expressions,  by  an  unaccountable  force,  is  very  pro- 
bably from  the  influence  of  the  spirit  of  the  devil. 

9.  Sojne  'particular  errors — Lay   exhorting — Mismaiiage- 
vient  of  singing  the  praises  of  God. 

A  second  thing  I  would  notice,  in  the  management  of 
which  there  has  been  much  error  and  misconduct,  is  lay 
exhorting  ;  about  which  there  has  been  abundance  of  dis- 
puting, jangling  and  contention. 

In  the  midst  of  all  the  disputes  that  have  been,  I  sup- 
pose that  all  are  agreed  as  to  these  two  things  :  1.  That 
all  exhorting  one  another  of  laymen  is  not  unlawful  or 
improper,  but  on  the  contrary,  that  some  exhorting  is  a 
christian  duty.  And,  2.  I  suppose,  also,  all  will  allow 
that  there  is  something  that  is  proper  only  for  ministers  ; 
that  there  is  some  kind  or  way  of-  exhorting  and  teach- 
ing or  other,  that  belongs  only  to  the  office  of  teachers. 
All  will  allow  that  God  has  appointed  such  an  office  as 
that  of  teachers  in  the  christian  church,  and  therefore, 
doubtless  will  allow  that  something  or  other  is  proper 
and  peculiar  to  that  ofiice,  or  some  business  of  teaching 


382  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

that  belongs   to   it,  that   does   not  belong  as   much   to 
others  as  to  them. 

If  there  be  any  way  of  teaching  that  is  peculiar  to  that 
office,  then,  for  others  to  take  that  upon  them,  is  to  in- 
vade the  office  of  a  minister ;  w^hich  doubtless  is  very 
sinful,  and  is  often  so  represented  in  Scripture.  But  the 
great  difficulty  is  to  settle  the  bounds,  and  to  tell  exactly 
how  far  laymen  may  go,  and  when  they  exceed  their 
limits  ;  which  is  a  matter  of  so  much  difficulty  that  I  do 
not  wonder  if  many  in  their  zeal  have  transgressed. 
The  two  ways  of  teaching  and  exhorting,  the  one  of 
which  ought  ordinarily  to  be  left  to  ministers,  and  the 
other  of  which  may  and  ought  to  be  practised  by  the 
people,  may  be  expressed  by  those  two  names  of  freacli- 
ing,  and  exhorting  in  a  way  of  christian  conversation.  But 
then  a  great  deal  of  difficulty  and  controversy  arises  to 
determine  what  is  preaching  and  what  is  christian  conver- 
sation. However,  I  will  humbly  offer  my  thoughts  con- 
cerning this  subject  of  lay  exhorting,  as  follows. 

1.  The  common  people  in  exhorting  one  another  ought 
not  to  clothe  themselves  with  the  like  authority  with  that 
which  is  proper  for  ministers.  There  is  a  certain  autho- 
rity that  ministers  have,  and  should  exercise  in  teaching 
as  well  as  governing  the  flock.  Teaching  is  spoken  of  in 
Scripture  as  an  act  of  authority,  1  Tim.  2  :  12.  In  order 
to  a  man's  preaching,  special  authority  must  be  commit- 
ted to  him.  Rom.  10  :  15,  "  How  shall  they  preach  ex- 
cept they  be  sent  ]"  Ministers  in  this  work  of  teaching 
and  exhorting  are  clothed  with  authority,  as  Christ's 
messengers  (Mai.  2  :  7,)  and  as  representing  him,  and  so 
speaking  in  his  name  and  in  his  stead,  2  Cor.  5  :  18,  19, 
20.    And  it  seems  to  be  the  most  honorable  thing  that 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  3SS 

belongs  to  the  office  of  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  that  to 
him  is  committed  the  word  of  reconciliation,  and  that  he 
has  power  to  preach  the  Gospel,  as  Christ's  messenger, 
and  speaking  in  his  name.  The  apostle  seems  to  speak 
of  it  as  such,  1  Cor.  1  :  16,  17.  Ministers  therefore,  in 
the  exercise  of  this  power,  may  clothe  themselves  with 
authority  in  speaking,  or  may  teach  others  in  an  au- 
thoritative manner.  Tit.  2  :  15,  "  These  things  speak 
and  exhort,  and  rebuke  with  all  authority :  let  no  man 
despise  thee." 

But  the  common  people  in  exhorting  one  another, 
ought  not  thus  to  exhort  in  an  authoritative  manner. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  difference  between  teaching  as 
a  father  amongst  a  company  of  children,  and  counselling 
in  a  hrotherly  way,  as  the  children  may  kindly  counsel 
and  admonish  one  another.  Those  that  are  mere  bre- 
thren, ought  not  to  assume  authority  in  exhorting,  though 
one  may  be  better  and  have  more  experience  than 
another.  Laymen  ought  not  to  exhort  as  though  they 
were  the  ambassadors  or  messengers  of  Christ,  as  minis- 
ters do  ;  nor  should  they  exhort  and  warn  and  charge  i7i 
his  name,  according  to  the  ordinary  import  of  such  an 
expression,  when  applied  to  teaching :  indeed,  in  one 
sense,  a  christian  ought  to  do  every  thing  he  does  in  re- 
ligion in  the  name  of  Christ ;  he  ought  to  act  in  a  de- 
pendence on  him  as  his  head  and  mediator,  and  do  all 
for  his  glory  ;  but  the  expression  ^as  it  is  usually  under- 
stood when  ajDplied  to  teaching  or  exhorting,  is  sj)eaking 
in  Christ's  stead,  and  as  having  a  message  from  him. 

Persons  may  clothe  themselves  with  authority  in  sjDeak- 
ing,  either  by  the  authoritative  words  they  use,  or  in  the 
manner  and  autJiorifative  air  of  their  speaking :  though 


384  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

some  may  think  that  this  latter  is  a  matter  of  indifference, 
or  at  least  of  small  importance,  yet  there  is  indeed  a 
great  deal  in  it :  a  person  may  go  much  out  of  his  place, 
and  be  guilty  of  a  great  degree  of  assuming  in  the  man- 
ner of  his  speaking  those  words  which,  as  they  might  be 
spoken  might  be  proper  for  him  :  the  same  words  spo- 
ken in  a  different  manner,  may  express  what  is  very 
diverse.  Doubtless  there  may  be  as  much  hurt  in  the 
manner  of  a  person's  speaking  as  there  may  be  in  his 
looks ;  but  the  wise  man  tells  us,  that  a  high  look  is  an 
abomination  to  the  Lord,  Prov.  21  :  4. 

Again,  a  man  may  clothe  himself  with  authority,  in 
the  circumstances  under  which  he  speaks ;  as  for  instance, 
if  he  sets  himself  up  as  a  public  teacher.  Here  I  would 
have  it  observed,  that  I  do  not  suppose  that  a  person  is 
guilty  of  this  merely  because  he  speaks  in  the  hearing 
of  many  :  persons  may  speak,  and  speak  only  in  a  way 
of  conversation,  and  yet  speak  in  the  hearing  of  a  gi-eat 
number,  as  they  often  do  in  their  common  conversa- 
tion about  temporal  things,  at  feasts  and  entertainments, 
where  women  as  well  as  others  converse  freely  together 
about  worldly  things,  in  the  hearing  of  a  considerable 
number,  and  it  may  happen  to  be  in  the  hearing  of  a 
great  number,  and  yet  without  offence  :  and  if  their 
conversation  on  such  occasions  should  turn  on  spiritual 
things,  and  they  should  speak  as  freely  and  openly,  I  do 
not  see  why  it  would  not  be  as  harmless. 

Nor  do  I  think  that  if  besides  a  great  number  being 
present,  persons  speak  with  a  very  earnest  and  loud 
voice,  this  is  for  them  to  set  up  themselves  as  public 
teachers,  if  they  do  it  from  no  contrivance  or  premedi- 
tated design,  or  as  purposely  directing  themselves  to  a 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  385 

congregation  or  multitude,  and  not  speaking  to  any  that 
are  composed  to  the  solemnity  of  any  public  service ;  but 
speaking  in  the  time  of  conversation,  or  a  time  vv^hen  all 
freely  converse  one  with  another,  they  express  what  they 
then  feel,  directing  themselves  to  none  but  those  that  are 
near  them  and  fall  in  their  way,  speaking  in  that  earnest 
and  pathetical  manner  to  which  the  subject  they  are 
speaking  of  and  the  affecting  sense  of  their  souls  natu- 
rally leads  them,  and  as  it  were  constrains  them :  I  say 
that  for  persons  to  do  thus,  though  many  happen  to  hear 
them,  does  not  appear  to  me  to  be  a  setting  themselves 
up  as  public  teachers :  yea,  if  this  be  added  to  these  other 
circumstances,  that  all  this  happens  to  be  in  a  meeting- 
house, I  do  not  think  that  merely  its  being  in  such  a 
place  much  alters  the  case,  provided  the  solemnity  of 
public  service  and  divine  ordinances  be  over,  and  the 
solemn  assembly  broken  up,  and  some  tarry  in  the  house 
for  mutual  religious  conversation;  provided  also  that 
they  speak  in  no  authoritative  way,  but  in  a  humble 
manner  becoming  their  degree  and  station,  though  they 
speak  very  earnestly  and  pathetically. 

Indeed  modesty  might,  in  ordinary  cases,  restrain 
some  persons,  as  women  and  those  that  are  young,  from 
so  much  as  speaking  when  a  great  number  are  present, 
at  least  when  some  of  those  present  are  much  their  su- 
jDcriors,  unless  they  are  spoken  to;  and  yet  the  case  may 
be  so  extraordinary  as  fully  to  warrant  it.  If  something 
very  extraordinary  happens  to  persons,  or  if  they  are  in 
extraordinary  circumstances ;  as  if  a  person  be  struck 
with  lightning  in  the  midst  of  a  great  company,  or  if  he 
lies  dying,  it  appears  to  none  any  violation  of  modesty 
for  him  to  speak  freely  before  those  that  are  much  his 

Rev.  ofRpl.  17 


386  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL, 

superiors.  I  have  seen  some  women  and  children  in 
such  circumstances  in  respect  to  rehgion,  that  it  has  ap- 
peared to  me  no  more  a  transgression  of  the  law^s  of 
humility  and  modesty  for  them  to  speak  freely,  let  v^ho 
vs^ill  be  present,  than  if  they  were  dying. 

But  a  man  may  be  said  to  set  up  himself  as  a  public 
teacher,  when  he  in  a  set  speech,  of  design,  directs  him- 
self to  a  multitude,  either  in  the  meeting-house  or  else- 
where, as  looking  that  they  should  compose  themselves 
to  attend  to  what  he  has  to  say ;  and  much  more  when 
this  is  a  contrived  and  premeditated  thing,  without  any 
thing  hke  a  constraint  by  any  extraordinary  sense  or  af- 
fection that  he  is  then  under ;  and  more  still,  when  meet- 
ings are  appointed  on  purpose  to  hear  lay  persons  ex- 
hort, and  they  take  it  as  their  businesss  to  be  speakers, 
while  they  expect  that  others  should  come  and  compose 
themselves  and  attend  as  hearers  ;  when  private  chris- 
tians take  it  upon  them  in  private  meetings  to  act  as  the 
masters  or  presidents  of  the  assembly,  and  accordingly 
from  time  to  time  to  teach  and  exhort  the  rest,  this  has 
the  appearance  of  authoritative  teaching. 

When  private  christians,  that  are  no  more  than  mere 
brethren,  exhort  and  admonish  one  another,  it  ought  to 
be  in  a  humble  manner,  rather  by  way  of  entreaty  than 
with  authority ;  and  the  more  according  as  the  station  of 
persons  is  lower.  Thus  it  becomes  women,  and  those 
that  are  young,  ordinarily  to  be  at  a  greater  distance  from 
any  appearance  of  authority  in  speaking  than  others  : 
thus  much  at  least  is  evident  by  the  scripture,  1  Tim. 
2  :  9,  11,  12. 

That  lay  persons  ought  not  to  exhort  one  another  as 
clothed  with  authority,  is  a  general  rule ;  but  it  cannot 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  387 

justly  be  supposed  to  extend  to  heads  of  families  in  their 
own  families.  Every  christian  family  is  a  little  church, 
and  the  heads  of  it  are  its  authoritative  teachers  and 
governors.  Nor  can  it  extend  to  school-masters  among 
their  scholars ;  and  some  other  cases  might  perhaps  be 
mentioned,  that  ordinary  discretion  will  distinguish, 
where  a  man's  circumstances  do  properly  clothe  him 
with  authority,  and  render  it  fit  and  suitable  for  him  to 
counsel  and  admonish  others  in  an  authoritative  manner. 
2.  No  man  but  a  minister  that  is  duly  appointed  to 
that  sacred  calling,  ought  to  follow  teaching  and  exhort- 
ing as  a  calling,  or  so  as  to  neglect  that  which  is  his  pro- 
per calling.  Having  the  office  of  a  teacher  in  the  church 
of  God  implies  two  things  :  1.  Being  invested  with  the 
authority  of  a  teacher;  and,  2.  Being  called  to  the  htisi- 
7iess  of  a  teacher,  to  make  it  the  business  of  his  life. 

Therefore  the  man  that  is  not  a  minister,  who  takes 
either  of  these  upon  him,  invades  the  office  of  a  minister. 
Concerning  assuming  the  authority  of  a  minister  I  have 
spoken  already.  But  if  a  layman  does  not  assume  authority 
in  his  teaching,  yet  if  he  forsakes  his  proper  calling,  or 
does  so  at  least  in  a  great  measure,  and  spends  his  time  in 
going  about  from  house  to  house  to  counsel  and  exhort, 
he  goes  beyond  his  line,  and  violates  christian  rules.  Those 
that  have  the  office  of  teachers  or  exhorters,  have  it  for 
their  calling,  and  should  make  it  their  business,  as  a  bu- 
siness proper  to  their  office  ;  and  none  should  make  it 
their  business  but  such.  Rom.  12  :  3-8,  "  For  I  say, 
through  the  grace  given  unto  me,  to  every  man  that  is 
among  you,  not  to  think  of  himself  more  highly  than  he 
Ought  to  think;  but  to  think  soberly,  according  as  God 
hath  dealt  to  every  man  the  proportion  of  faith.  For  as  we 


388  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

have  many  members  in  one  body,  and  all  members  have 
not  the  same  office  ;  so  w^e  being  many,  are  one  body  in 
Christ.  He  that  teacheth,  let  him  wait  on  teaching,  or 
he  that  exhorteth,  on  exhortation."  1  Cor.  12  :  29,  *'  Are 
all  apostles  1  Are  all  prophets  ]  Are  all  teachers  V*  1 
Cor.  7  ;  20,  **  Let  every  man  abide  in  the  same  calling 
wherein  he  was  called."  1  Thes.  4  :  11,  "And  that  ye 
study  to  be  quiet,  and  to  do  your  own  business,  and  to 
work  with  your  own  hands,  as  we  commanded  you." 

It  will  be  a  very  dangerous  thing  for  laymen,  in  either 
of  these  respects,  to  invade  the  office  of  a  minister.  If 
this  be  common  among  us,  we  shall  be  in  danger  of  hav- 
ing a  stop  put  to  the  word  of  God,  and  the  ark's  turning 
aside  from  us  before  it  comes  to  mount  Zion,  and  of 
God's  making  a  breach  upon  us  :  as  of  old  there  was  an 
unhappy  stop  put  to  the  joy  of  the  congregation  of 
Israel  in  bringing  up  the  ark  of  God,  because  others 
carried  it  besides  the  Levites ;  and  therefore  David, 
when  the  error  was  found  out,  says,  1  Chron.  15  :  2, 
"  None  ought  to  carry  the  ark  of  God  but  the  Levites 
only  ;  for  them  hath  the  Lord  chosen  to  carry  the  ark  of 
God,  and  to  minister  unto  him  for  ever."  And  because 
one  presumed  to  touch  the  ark  that  was  not  of  the  sons 
of  Aaron,  therefore  the  Lord  made  a  breach  upon 
them,  and  covered  their  day  of  rejoicing  with  a  cloud 
in  his  anger. 

Before  I  dismiss  this  head  of  lay  exhorting,  I  would 
notice  three  things  relating  to  it,  upon  which  there 
ought  to  be  a  restraint. 

1.  Speaking  in  the  time  of  the  solemn  worship  of 
God,  as  public  prayer,  singing,  or  preaching,  or  adminis- 
tration of  the  holy  supper ;  or  any  duty  of  social  wor- 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  389 

ship  :  this  should  not  be  allowed.  I  know  it  will  be  said 
that  in  some  cases,  when  persons  are  exceedingly  affect- 
ed, they  cannot  help  it ;  and  I  believe  so  too  :  but  then 
I  also  believe,  and  know  by  experience,  that  there  are 
several  things  that  contribute  to  that  inability  besides 
merely  and  absolutely  the  sense  of  divine  things  they 
have  upon  their  hearts.  Custom  and  example,  or  the 
thing's  being  allowed,  have  such  an  influence,  that  they 
actually  help  to  make  it  impossible  for  persons  under 
strong  aflections  to  avoid  speaking.  If  it  were  disallow- 
ed, and  persons  at  the  time  that  they  were  thus  disposed 
to  break  out,  had  the  apprehension  that  it  would  be  a 
very  unbecoming,  shocking  thing  for  them  so  to  do,  it 
would  be  a  help  to  them  as  to  their  ability  to  avoid  it : 
their  inability  arises  from  their  strong  and  vehement  dis- 
position; and  so  far  as  that  disposition  is  from  a  good 
principle,  it  would  be  weakened  by  the  coming  in  of  this 
thought  to  their  minds,  viz.  "  What  I  am  going  to  do 
will  be  for  the  dishonor  of  Christ  and  religion  :"  and  so 
that  inward  vehemence  that  pushed  them  forward  to 
speak,  would  fall,  and  they  would  be  enabled  to  avoid 
it.     This  experience  confirms. 

2.  There  ought  to  be  a  moderate  restraint  on  the 
loudness  of  persons  talking  under  high  affections ;  for  if 
there  be  not,  it  will  grow  natural  and  unavoidable  for 
persons  to  be  louder  and  louder,  without  any  increase  of 
their  inward  sense  ;  until  it  becomes  natural  to  them,  at 
last,  to  scream  and  halloo  to  almost  every  one  they  see 
in  the  streets  when  they  are  much  affected  :  but  this  is 
certainly  a  thing  very  improper,  and  what  has  no  ten- 
dency to  promote  religion.  The  man  Christ  Jesus  when 
he  was  upon  earth  had  doubtless  as  great  a  sense  of  the 


390  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

infinite  greatness  and  importance  of  eternal  things,  and 
the  w^orth  of  souls,  as  any  have  at  present ;  but  there  is 
not  the  least  appearance  in  his  history  of  his  taking  any 
such  course  or  manner  of  exhorting  others. 

3.  There  should  also  be  some  restraint  on  the  abun- 
dance of  persons'  talk,  under  strong  affections  ;  for  if 
persons  give  themselves  an  unbounded  liberty  to  talk 
just  so  much  as  they  feel  an  inclination  to,  they  will  in- 
crease and  abound  more  and  more  in  talk  beyond  the 
proportion  of  their  sense  or  affection  ;  until  at  length  it 
will  become  ineffectual  on  those  that  hear  them,  and  by 
the  commonness  of  their  abundant  talk  they  will  defeat 
their  own  end. 

One  thing  more  that  I  would  notice  before  I  conclude 
this  part,  is  the  mismanagement  in  some  places  of  the  duty 
of  singing  praises  to  God.  I  believe  it  to  have  been  one 
fruit  of  the  extraordinary  degrees  of  the  sweet  and  joyful 
influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God  which  have  been  lately 
given,  that  there  has  appeared  such  a  disposition  to 
abound  in  that  duty,  and  frequently  to  fall  into  this  di- 
vine exercise,  not  only  in  appointed  solemn  meetings, 
but  when  christians  occasionally  meet  together  at  each 
other's  houses.  But  the  mismanagement  I  have  respect 
to,  is  the  getting  into  a  way  of  performing  it  almost  with- 
out any  appearance  of  the  reverence  and  solemnity  with 
which  all  visible,  open  acts  of  divine  worship  ought  to  be 
attended :  it  may  be  two  or  three  in  a  room  singing 
hymns  of  praise  to  God,  others  that  are  present  talking 
at  the  same  time,  others  about  their  work,  with  little  more 
appearance  of  regard  to  what  is  doing  than  if  some  were 
only  singing  a  common  song  for  their  amusement  and 
diversion,  There  is  danger,  if  such  things  are  continued. 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED,  391 

of  its  coming  to  that  by  degrees,  that  a  mere  nothing  will 
be  made  of  this  duty,  to  the  great  violation  of  the  third 
commandment.  Let  christians  abound  as  much  as  they 
will  in  this  holy,  heavenly  exercise,  in  God's  house  and 
in  their  own  houses ;  but  when  it  is  performed,  let  it  be 
performed  as  a  holy  act,  wherein  they  have  immediately 
and  visibly  to  do  with  God.  When  any  social  open  act 
of  devotion,  or  solemn  worship  of  God  is  performed,  God 
should  be  reverenced  as  visibly  present,  by  those  that 
are  present.  As  we  would  not  have  the  ark  of  God  de- 
part from  us,  nor  provoke  God  to  make  a  breach  upon 
us,  we  should  take  heed  that  we  handle  the  ark  with 
reverence. 

With  respect  to  companies  singing  in  the  streets,  go- 
ing to  or  coming  from  the  place  of  public  worship,  I 
would  humbly  offer  my  thoughts  in  the  following  par- 
ticulars. 

1.  The  rule  of  Christ  concerning  ^putting  new  wine  into 
old  hottles  does  undoubtedly  apply  in  things  of  this  na- 
ture, supposing  it  to  be  a  thing  that  in  itself  is  good,  but 
not  essential,  and  not  particularly  enjoined  or  forbidden. 
For  things  so  very  new  and  uncommon,  and  of  so  open 
and  public  a  nature,  to  be  suddenly  introduced  and  set 
up  and  practised  in  many  parts  of  the  country,  without 
the  matter's  being  so  much  as  first  proposed  to  any  pub- 
lic consideration,  or  giving  any  opportunity  for  the  peo- 
ple of  God  to  weigh  the  matter,  or  to  consider  any  rea- 
sons that  might  be  offered  to  support  it,  is  putting  new 
wine  into  old  bottles  with  a  witness ;  as  if  it  were  with 
no  other  design  than  to  burst  them  directly.  Nothing  else 
can  be  expected  to  be  the  consequence  of  this,  than  up- 
roar and  confusion,  and  great  offence,  and  unhappy  mis- 


392  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

cliievous  disputes  even  among  the  children  of  God  them- 
selves. 

Not  that  that  w^hich  is  good  in  itself,  and  is  nev7,  ought 
to  be  forborne  until  there  is  nobody  that  will  dislike  it ; 
but  it  ought  to  be  forborne  until  the  visible  church  of 
God  is  so  prepared  for  it,  at  least,  that  there  is  a  proba- 
bility that  it  will  not  do  more  hurt  than  good,  or  hinder 
the  work  of  God  more  than  promote  it ;  as  is  most  evi- 
dent from  Christ's  rule  and  the  apostles'  practice.  If  it 
be  brought  in,  when  the  country  is  so  unprepared  that 
the  shock  and  surprise  on  persons'  minds,  and  the  con- 
tention and  prejudice  against  religion  that  it  is  like  to  be 
an  occasion  of,  will  do  more  to  hinder  religion  than  the 
practice  of  it  is  like  to  do  to  promote  it,  then  the  fruit  is 
picked  before  it  is  ripe.  And  indeed  such  a  hasty  en- 
deavor to  introduce  such  an  innovation,  supposing  it  to 
be  good  in  itself,  is  the  likeliest  way  to  retard  the  effectu- 
al introduction  of  it :  it  will  hinder  its  being  extensive- 
ly introduced  much  more  than  it  will  promote  it,  and 
so  will  defeat  its  own  end.    But, 

2.  As  to  the  thing  itself,  if  a  considerable  part  of  a 
congregation  hare  occasion  to  go  in  company  together 
to  a  place  of  public  worship,  and  they  should  join  togeth- 
er in  singing  praises  to  God  as  they  go,  I  confess  that, 
after  long  consideration,  and  endeavoring  to  view  the 
thing  every  way  with  the  utmost  diligence  and  impar- 
tiality I  am  capable  of,  I  cannot  find  any  valid  objection 
against  it.  As  to  the  common  objection  from  Matt.  6  :  5, 
"When  thou  prayest,  thou  shalt  not  be  as  the  hypocrites 
are  ;  for  they  love  to  pray  standing  in  the  synagogues, 
and  in  the  corners  of  the  streets,  that  they  may  be  seen 
of  men;"  it  is  strong  against  a  single  person's  singing  in 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  393 

the  streets,  or  in  the  meeting-house,  by  himself,  as  offer- 
ing to  God  personal  worship?,  but  as  it  is  brought  against 
a  considerable  company  thus  publicly  worshipping  God, 
it  appears  to  me  to  have  no  weight  at  all :  surely,  it  is  of 
no  more  force  against  a  company's  thus  praising  God  in 
the  streets,  than  against  their  praising  him  in  the  syna- 
gogue or  meeting-house,  for  the  streets  and  the  syna- 
gogues are  both  put  together  in  these  words  of  our 
Savior,  as  parallel  in  the  case  that  he  had  respect  to.  It 
is  evident  that  Christ  speaks  of  personal,  and  not  public 
worship.  If  to  sing  in  the  streets  be  ostentatious,  then  it 
must  be  because  it  is  a  public  place,  and  it  cannot  be 
done  there  without  being  very  open ;  but  it  is  no  more 
public  than  the  synagogue  or  meeting-house  is  when  full 
of  people.  Some  worship  is  in  its  nature  private,  as  that 
which  is  proper  to  particular  persons,  or  families,  or 
jjrivate  societies,  and  has  respect  to  their  particular  con- 
cerns :  but  that  which  I  now  speak  of,  is  performed 
under  no  other  notion  than  a  part  of  God's  public  wor- 
ship, without  any  relation  to  any  private,  separate  socie- 
ty, or  any  chosen  or  picked  number,  and  in  which  every 
visible  christian  has  equal  liberty  to  join,  if  it  be  con- 
venient for  him,  and  he  has  a  disposition,  as  in  the  wor- 
ship that  is  performed  in  the  meeting-house. 

When  persons  are  going  to  the  house  of  public  wor- 
ship to  serve  God  there  with  the  assembly  of  his  people, 
they  are  upon  no  other  design  thaii  that  of  putting  public 
honor  upon  God,  that  is  the  business  they  go  from  home 
upon,  and  even  in  their  walking  the  streets  on  this  er- 
rand they  appear  in  a  public  act  of  respect  to  God  ;  and 
therefore  if  they  go  in  company  with  public  praise,  it  is 
not  being  public  when  they  ought  to  be  private.  It  is 
17* 


394  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL, 

one  part  of  the  beauty  of  public  worship,  that  it  be  very 
public ;  the  more  public  it  is,  the  more  open  honor  it 
puts  upon  God;  and  especially  is  it  beautiful  in  that  part 
of  public  w^orship,  public  praise  :  for  the  very  notion  of 
public  praising  of  God,  is  to  declare  abroad  his  glory,  to 
publish  his  praise,  to  make  it  known  and  proclaim  it 
aloud,  as  is  evident  by  innumerable  expressions  of  Scrip- 
ture. It  is  fit  that  God's  honor  should  not  be  concealed, 
but  made  known  in  the  great  congregation,  and  pro- 
claimed before  the  sun,  and  upon  the  house-tops,  before 
kings  and  all  nations,  and  that  his  praises  should  be 
heard  to  the  utmost  ends  of  the  earth. 

I  suppose  none  will  condemn  singing  God's  praises, 
merely  because  it  is  performed  in  the  open  air,  and  not  in 
a  close  place  :  and  if  it  may  be  performed  by  a  company 
in  the  open  air,  doubtless  they  may  do  it  moving  as  well 
as  standing  still.  So  the  children  of  Israel  praised  God, 
when  they  went  to  mount  Zion  with  the  ark  of  God  ; 
and  so  the  multitude  praised  Christ,  when  they  entered 
with  him  into  Jerusalem  a  little  before  his  passion;  and 
so  the  children  of  Israel  were  wont,  from  year  to  year,  to 
go  up  to  Jerusalem,  when  they  went  in  companies,  from 
all  parts  of  the  land,  three  times  in  the  year,  when  they 
often  used  to  manifest  the  engagedness  of  their  minds 
by  travelling  all  night,  and  manifested  their  joy  and  glad- 
ness by  singing  praises,  with  great  decency  and  beauty, 
as  they  went  towards  God's  holy  mountain  ;  as  is  evident 
by  Isa.  30  :  29  :  "  Ye  shall  have  a  song,  as  in  the  night, 
when  a  holy  solemnity  is  kept,  and  gladness  of  heart ;  as 
when  one  goeth  with  a  pipe  to  come  into  the  mountain 
of  the  Lord,  to  the  mighty  One  of  Israel ;"  and  Psalm  42  : 
4,  "  When  I  remember  these  things  I  pour  out  my  soul 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  395 

in  me ;  for  I  had  gone  with  the  multitude,  I  went  with 
them  to  the  house  of  God,  with  the  voice  of  joy  and 
praise,  with  a  multitude  that  kept  holy  day;"  and  Psalm 
100  :  4,  "  Enter  into  his  gates  with  thanksgiving,  and 
into  his  courts  with  praise." 

When  God's  people  are  going  to  his  house,  the  occa- 
sion is  so  joyful  to  a  christian  in  a  lively  frame  (the  lan- 
guage of  whose  heart  is.  Come,  let  us  go  up  to  the  house 
of  the  Lord,  and  who  is  glad  when  it  is  so  said  to  him,) 
tliat  the  duty  of  singing  praises  seems  to  be  peculiarly 
beautiful  on  such  an  occasion.  So  that  if  the  state  of  the 
country  was  ripe  for  it,  and  it  should  be  so  that  there 
should  be  frequent  occasion  for  a  considerable  part  of  the 
congregation  to  go  together  to  the  places  of  public  wor- 
ship, and  there  was  in  other  respects  a  proportionable 
appearance  of  fervency  of  devotion,  it  appears  to  me  that 
it  would  be  ravishingly  beautiful  if  such  things  were  prac- 
tised all  over  the  land,  and  would  have  a  great  tendency 
to  enliven,  animate  and  rejoice  the  souls  of  God's  saints, 
and  greatly  to  propagate  vital  religion.  I  believe  the  time 
is  coming  when  the  world  will  be  full  of  such  things. 

3.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  requisite  that  there  should  be 
the  consent  of  the  governing  part  of  the  worshipping  so- 
cieties to  which  persons  have  joined  themselves,  and  of 
which  they  own  themselves  a  part,  in  order  to  the  intro- 
ducing of  things  in  public  worship,  so  new  and  uncom- 
mon, and  not  essential,  nor  partigularly  commanded,  into 
the  places  where  those  worshipping  societies  belong :  the 
peace  and  union  of  such  societies  seem  to  require  it.  See- 
ing they  have  voluntarily  united  themselves  to  these  wor- 
shipping societies,  to  the  end  that  they  might  be  one  in 
the  aifairs  of  God's  public  worship,  and  oblige  themselves 


396  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

in  covenant  to  act  as  brethren  and  mutual  assistants  and 
members  of  one  body  in  those  affairs,  and  all  are  hereby 
naturally  and  necessarily  led  to  be  concerned  with  one 
another  in  matters  of  religion  and  God's  worship ;  and 
seeing  that  this  is  a  part  of  the  public  worship,  and  wor- 
ship that  must  be  performed  from  time  to  time  in  the 
view  of  the  whole,  being  performed  at  a  time  when  they 
are  meeting  together  for  mutual  assistance  in  worship, 
and  is  therefore  what  all  must  unavoidably  be  in  some 
measure  concerned  in,  so  at  least  as  to  show  their  appro- 
bation and  consent,  or  open  dislike  and  separation  from 
them  in  it :  I  say,  it  being  thus,  charity  and  a  regard  to 
the  union  and  peace  of  such  societies  seems  to  require  a 
consent  of  the  governing  part,  in  order  to  the  introducing 
of  any  thing  of  this  nature  ;  (unless  they  think  those  so- 
cieties unworthy  that  they  should  be  joined  to  them  any 
longer,  and  so  first  renounce  them,  as  the  worshipping 
societies  of  which  they  are  members.)  Certainly  if  we  are 
of  the  spirit  of  the  apostle  Paul,  and  have  his  discretion, 
we  sliall  not  set  up  any  such  practice  without  it :  he,  for 
the  sake  of  peace,  conformed,  in  things  wherein  he  was 
not  particularly  forbidden,  to  the  Jews,  when  among 
them;  and  so,  when  among  those  that  were  without  the 
law,  conformed  to  them  wherein  he  might.  To  be  sure, 
those  go  much  beyond  proper  limits,  who,  coming  from 
abroad,  do  immediately  of  their  own  heads,  in  a  strange 
place,  set  up  such  a  new  and  uncommon  practice  among 
a  people. 

In  introducing  any  thing  of  this  nature  among  a  people, 
their  minister  especially  ought  to  be  consulted  and  his 
voice  taken,  as  long  as  he  is  owned  for  their  minister. 
Ministers  are  pastors  of  worshipping  societies,  and  their 


THINGS    TO    BE    AVOIDED.  397 

heads  and  guides  in  the  affairs  of  public  worship.  They 
are  called  in  Scripture  iliose  that  rule  over  them,  and  their 
people  are  commanded  to  ohey  them,  because  they  ivatch 
for  their  souls  as  those  that  must  give  account.  If  it  belongs 
to  these  shepherds  and  rulers  to  direct  and  guide  the 
flock  in  any  thing  at  all,  it  belongs  to  them  so  to  do  in  the 
circumstantials  of  their  public  worship. 

Thus  I  have  taken  particular  notice  of  many  of  those 
things  that  have  appeared  to  me  to  be  amiss  in  the  man- 
agement of  our  religious  concerns  relating  to  the  pre- 
sent revival  of  religion,  and  have  taken  liberty  freely  to 
express  my  thoughts  upon  them.  Upon  the  whole  it  ap- 
pears manifest  to  me  that  things  have  as  yet  never  been 
set  a  going  in  their  right  channel ;  if  they  had,  and  means 
had  been  blessed  in  proportion  as  they  have  been  now, 
this  work  would  have  so  prevailed  as  before  this  time  to 
have  carried  all  before  it,  and  have  triumphed  over  New 
England  as  its  conquest. 

The  devil,  in  driving  things  to  these  extremes,  besides 
the  present  hinderance  of  the  work  of  God,  has,  I  believe, 
had  in  view  a  twofold  mischief  hereafter  in  the  issue  of 
things.  One  with  respect  to  those  that  are  more  cold  in 
religion,  to  carry  things  to  such  an  extreme  that  people 
in  general,  at  length  having  their  eyes  opened  by  the 
great  excess,  and  seeing  that  things  must  needs  be  wrong, 
he  might  take  the  advantage  to  tempt  them  entirely  to 
reject  the  whole  work,  as  being  all  nothing  but  delusion 
and  distraction.  And  another  is  with  respect  to  those  of 
God's  own  children  that  have  been  very  warm  and  zea- 
lous, and  have  been  out  of  the  way,  to  sink  them  down  in 
unbelief  and  darkness.  The  time  is  coming,  I  doubt  not, 
when  the  greater  part  of  them  will  be  convinced  of  their 


398  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

errors,  and  then  probably  the  devil  will  take  advantage 
to  lead  them  into  a  dreadful  w^ilderness,  and  to  puzzle 
and  confound  them  about  their  own  experiences  and  the 
experiences  of  others  ;  and  to  make  them  doubt  of  many 
things  they  ought  not  to  doubt  of,  and  even  to  tempt  them 
with  atheistical  thoughts.  I  believe  if  all  true  christians 
all  over  the  land  should  now  at  once  have  their  eyes 
opened  fully  to  see  all  their  errors,  it  would  seem  for 
the  present  to  damp  religion  :  the  dark  thoughts  that  it 
would  at  first  be  an  occasion  of,  and  the  inward  doubts, 
difficulties  and  conflicts  that  would  rise  in  their  souls, 
would  deaden  their  lively  affections  and  joys,  and  would 
cause  an  appearance  of  a  present  decay  of  religion.  But 
yet  it  would  do  God's  saints  great  good  in  their  latter 
end ;  it  would  fit  them  for  more  spiritual  and  excellent 
experiences,  more  humble  and  heavenly  love  and  unmix- 
ed joys,  and  would  greatly  tend  to  a  more  powerful,  ex- 
tensive, and  durable  prevalence  of  vital  piety. 

I  do  not  know  but  we  shall  be  in  danger  by  and  by, 
after  our  eyes  are  fully  opened  to  see  our  errors,  to  go 
to  contrary  extremes.  The  devil  has  driven  the  pendu- 
lum far  beyond  its  proper  point  of  rest ;  and  when  he  has 
carried  it  to  the  utmost  length  that  he  can,  and  it  begins 
by  its  own  weight  to  swing  back,  he  probably  will  set  in 
and  drive  it  with  the  utmost  fury  the  other  way,  and  so 
give  us  no  rest ;  and  if  possible  prevent  our  settling  in  a 
proper  medium.  What  a  poor,  blind,  weak  and  misera- 
ble creature  is  man  at  his  best  estate  !  We  are  like  poor 
helpless  sheep ;  the  devil  is  too  subtle  for  us.  What  is  our 
strength !  What  is  our  wisdom  !  How  ready  are  we  to 
go  astray  !  How  easily  are  we  drawn  aside  into  innume- 
rable snares,  while  we  in  the  mean  time  u.e  bold  and  con- 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    Bfi    PROMOTED.  399 

fident,  and  doubt  not  but  that  we  are  right  and  safe  !  We 
are  foolish  sheep  in  the  midst  of  subtle  serpents  and  cruel 
wolves,  and  do  not  know  it.  Oh  !  how  unfit  are  we  to  be 
left  to  ourselves  !  and  how  much  do  we  need  the  wisdom, 
the  power,  the  condescension,  patience,  forgiveness  and 
gentleness  of  our  good  Shepherd  ! 


PART    V. 

SHOWING    POSITIVELY    WHAT    OUGHT    TO    BE  DONE    TO    PRO- 
MOTE   THIS    WORK. 

In  considering  means  and  methods  for  promoting  this 
glorious  work  of  God,  I  have  already  observed,  in  some 
instances,  wherein  there  has  been  needless  objecting  and 
complaining,  and  have  also  taken  notice  of  many  things 
amiss,  that  ought  to  be  amended  :  I  now  proceed,  in  the 
third  and  last  place,  to  show  positively  what  ought  to 
BE  DONE,  or  what  courses  (according  to  my  humble 
opinion)  ought  to  be  taken  to  promote  this  work.  The 
obligations  that  all  are  under,  with  one  consent,  to  do 
their  utmost,  and  the  great  danger  of  neglecting  it,  were 
observed  before.  I  hope  that  some,  upon  reading  what 
was  said  under  that  head,  will  be  ready  to  say.  What 
shall  we  do?  To  such  readers  I  would  now  offer  my 
thoughts  in  answer  to  such  an  inquiry. 

1.  StuinbUng-hlocks  or  hinderances  should  he  removed. 

And   that  which   I   think  we   ought  to  set   ourselves 


400  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

about  in  the  first  place,  is  to  remove  stumbling-blocks. 
When  God  is  revealed  as  about  to  come,  gloriously  to 
set  up  his  kingdom  in  the  w^orld,  this  is  proclaimed, 
"  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight  in  the 
desert  a  highway  for  our  God,"  Isa.  40  :  3  ;  and  again, 
Isa.  51  :  14,  '*  Cast  ye  up,  cast  ye  up ;  prepare  the  way  ; 
take  up  the  stumbling-block  out  of  the  way  of  my  peo- 
ple;" and  chap.  62  :  10,  "Go  through,  go  through  the 
gates ;  prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  people  :  cast  up,  cast 
up  the  highway;  gather  out  the  stones." 

And  in  order  to  this,  there  must  be  a  great  deal  done 
at  confessing  of  faults  on  both  sides  :  for  undoubtedly 
many  and  great  are  the  faults  that  have  been  committed, 
in  the  jangling  and  confusions,  and  mixtures  of  light  and 
darkness  that  have  been  of  late.  There  is  hardly  any 
duty  more  contrary  to  our  corrupt  dispositions  and  mor- 
tifying to  the  pride  of  man ;  but  it  must  be  clone.  Re- 
pentance of  faults  is,  in  a  peculiar  manner,  a  proper  duty, 
when  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand,  or  when  we  es- 
pecially expect  or  desire  that  it  should  come ;  as  appears 
by  John  the  Baptist's  preaching.  And  if  God  does  now 
loudly  call  upon  us  to  repent,  then  he  also  calls  upon  us 
to  make  proper  manifestations  of  our  repentance. 

I  am  persuaded  that  those  that  have  openly  opposed  this 
work,  or  have  from  time  to  time  spoken  lightly  of  it, 
cannot  be  excused  in  the  sight  of  God  without  openly 
confessing  their  fault  therein  ;  especially  if  they  be  mi- 
nisters. If  they  have  any  v/ay,  either  directly  or  indi- 
rectly, opposed  the  work,  or  have  so  behaved,  in  their 
public  performances  or  private  conversation  as  has  pre- 
judiced the  minds  of  their  people  against  the  work,  if 
hereafter  they  shall  be  convinced  of  the  goodness  and 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  401 

divinity  of  what  they  have  opposed,  they  ought  by  no 
means  to  palliate  the  matter  and  excuse  themselves,  and 
pretend  that  they  always  thought  so,  and  that  it  was  only 
such  and  such  imprudences  that  they  objected  against ; 
but  they  ought  openly  to  declare  their  conviction,  and 
condemn  themselves  for  what  they  have  done ;  for  it  is 
Christ  that  they  have  spoken  against,  in  speaking  lightly 
of,  and  prejudicing  others  against  this  work ;  yea,  worse 
than  that,  it  is  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  though  they  have 
done  it  ignorantly  and  in  unbelief,  yet  when  they  find 
out  who  it  is  that  they  have  opposed,  undoubtedly  God 
will  hold  them  bound  publicly  to  confess  it. 

And  on  the  other  hand,  if  those  that  have  been  zealous 
to  promote  the  work  have,  in  any  of  the  forementioned 
instances,  openly  gone  much  out  of  the  way,  and  done 
that  which  is  contrary  to  christian  rules,  whereby  they 
have  openly  injured  others  or  greatly  violated  good  or- 
der, and  so  done  that  which  has  wounded  religion,  they 
must  publicly  confess  it,  and  humble  themselves,  as  they 
would  gather  out  the  stones  and  prepare  the  way  of 
God's  people.  They  who  have  laid  great  stumbling- 
blocks  in  others'  way  by  their  open  transgression,  are 
bound  to  remove  them  by  their  open  rcpefttance. 

Some  probably  will  be  ready  to  object  against  this, 
that  the  opposers  will  take  advantage  by  this  to  behave 
themselves  insolently,  and  to  insult  both  them  and  re- 
ligion. And  indeed,  to  the  shame  of  some,  they  have 
taken  advantage  by  such  things  ;  as  of  the  good  spirit 
that  Mr.  Whitefield  showed  in  his  retractions,  and  so  of 
some  others.  But  if  there  are  some  imbittered  enemies 
of  religion  that  stand  ready  to  improve  every  thing  to 
its  disadvantage,  yet  that  ought  not  to  hinder  doing  an 


402  THOUGHTS   ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

enjoined  christian  duty ;  though  it  be  in  the  manifesta- 
tion of  humiUty  and  repentance,  after  a  fault  openly 
committed.  To  stand  it  out  in  a  visible  impenitence  of  a 
real  fault,  to  avoid  such  an  inconvenience,  is  to  do  evil  to 
prevent  evil.  And  besides,  the  danger  of  an  evil  conse- 
quence is  much  greater  on  the  other  side :  to  commit  sin, 
and  then  stand  in  it,  is  what  w^ill  give  the  enemy  the 
greatest  advantage.  For  christians  to  act  like  christians, 
in  openly  humbling  themselves  w^hen  they  have  openly 
offended,  in  the  end  brings  the  gi^eatest  honor  to  Christ 
and  religion;  and  in  this  w^ay  are  persons  most  likely  to 
have  God  appear  for  them. 

Again,  at  such  a  day  as  this,  God  especially  calls  his 
people  to  the  exercise  of  extraordinary  meekness  and  mu- 
tual forbearance  ;  for  at  such  a  time  Christ  appears  as  it 
were  coming  in  his  kingdom,  which  calls  for  great  mode- 
ration in  our  behavior  towards  all  men;  as  is  evident, 
Phil.  4:5,  "  Let  your  moderation  be  known  unto  all 
men  :  the  Lord  is  at  hand."  The  awe  of  the  divine  ma- 
jesty that  appears  present  or  approaching,  should  dispose 
us  to  it,  and  deter  us  from  the  contrary.  For  us  to  be 
judging  one  another,  and  behaving  with  fierceness  and  bit- 
terness one  towards  another,  when  He  who  is  the  search- 
er of  all  hearts,  to  whom  we  must  all  give  an  account, 
appears  so  remarkably  present,  is  exceedingly  unsuitable. 
Our  business  at  such  a  time  should  be  at  home,  search- 
ing ourselves,  and  condemning  ourselves,  and  taking  heed 
to  our  own  behavior.  If  there  be  glorious  prosperity  to  the 
church  of  God  approaching,  those  that  are  the  most  meek 
will  have  the  largest  share  in  it ;  for  when  Christ  "  rides 
forth  in  his  glory  and  majesty,"  it  is  "because  of  truth, 
meekness,  and  righteousness,"  Psal.  45  :  3,  4.  And  when 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  403 

God  remarkably  arises  to  execute  judgment,  it  is  **  to  save 
all  the  meek  of  the  earth,"  Psalm  76  :  9.  And  it  is  '*  the 
meek  "  that  "  shall  increase  their  joy  in  the  Lord,"  Isaiah, 
29  :  19.  And  when  the  time  comes  that  God  will  give 
this  lower  world  into  the  hands  of  his  saints,  it  is  "  the 
meek"  that  "  shall  inherit  the  earth,"  Psalm  37  :  11,  and 
Matt.  5:9,"  but  with  the  froward,  God  will  show  him- 
self unsavory." 

Those,  therefore,  that  have  been  zealous  for  this  work, 
and  have  greatly  erred  and  been  injurious  with  their  zeal, 
ought  not  to  be  treated  with  bitterness.  There  is  abun- 
dant reason  to  think  that  most  of  them  are  the  dear  chil- 
dren of  God,  for  whom  Christ  died ;  and  therefore,  that 
they  will  see  their  error.  As  to  those  things  wherein  we 
see  them  to  be  in  an  error,  we  have  reason  to  say  of  them 
as  the  apostle,  Philip.  3  :  15,  "  If  any  are  otherwise 
minded,  God  shall  reveal  this  unto  them."  Their  errors 
should  not  be  made  use  of  by  us,  so  much  to  excite  indig- 
nation towards  them,  but  should  influence  all  of  us  that 
hope  that  we  are  the  children  of  God,  to  humble  ourselves, 
and  become  more  entirely  dependent  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  when  we  see  those  that  are  God's  own  people 
so  ready  to  go  astray.  And  those  ministers  that  have 
been  judged,  and  injuriously  dealt  with,  will  do  the  part 
of  Christ's  disciples  not  to  judge  and  revile  again,  but 
to  receive  such  injuries  with  meekness  and  forbearance, 
making  a  good  improvement  of  them,  more  strictly  ex- 
amining their  hearts  and  ways,  and  committing  them- 
selves to  God.  This  will  be  the  way  to  have  God  vindi- 
cate them  in  his  providence,  if  they  belong  to  him.  We 
have  not  yet  seen  the  end  of  things ;  nor  do  we  know 
who  will  be  most  vindicated  and  honored  of  God  in  the 


404  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

issue.  Eccles.  7:8,"  Better  is  the  end  of  a  thing  than 
the  beginning  thereof;  and  the  patient  in  spirit  is  better 
than  the  proud  in  spirit." 

Contrary  to  this  mutual  meekness  is  each  party's  stig- 
matizing one  another  with  odious  names,  as  is  done  in 
many  parts  of  New  England ;  which  tends  greatly  to 
widen  and  perpetuate  the  breach.  Such  distinguishing 
names  of  reproach  do  as  it  were  divide  us  into  two  armies, 
separated  and  drawn  up  in  battle  array,  ready  to  fight 
one  with  another ;  which  greatly  hinders  the  work  of  God. 

And  as  such  an  extraordinary  time  as  this  does  espe- 
cially require  of  us  the  exercise  of  a  great  deal  of  for- 
bearance one  towards  another ;  so  there  is  peculiarly  re- 
quisite in  God's  people  the  exercise  of  great  'patience  in 
waiting  on  God,  under  any  special  difficulties  and  disad- 
vantages they  may  be  under  as  to  the  means  of  grace. 
The  beginning  of  a  revival  of  religion  will  naturally  and 
necessarily  be  attended  with  a  great  many  difficulties  of 
this  nature ;  many  parts  of  the  reviving  church  will,  for  a 
while,  be  under  great  disadvantages  by  reason  of  what 
remains  of  the  old  disease,  of  a  general  corruption  of  the 
visible  church.  We  cannot  expect  that,  after  a  long  time 
of  degeneracy  and  depravity  in  the  state  of  things  in  the 
church,  things  should  all  come  to  be  right  at  once  ;  it  must 
be  a  work  of  time  :  and  for  God's  people  to  be  over-hasty 
and  violent  in  such  a  case,  being  resolved  to  have  every 
thing  rectified  at  once  or  else  forcibly  to  deliver  them- 
selves by  breaches  and  separations,  is  the  way  to  hinder 
things  coming  right  as  they  otherwise  would,  and  to  keep 
them  back,  and  the  way  to  break  all  in  pieces. 

Not  but  that  the  case  may  be  such,  the  difficulty  may 
be  so  intolerable  as  to  allow  of  no  delay,  and  that  God's 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  405 

people  cannot  continue  in  the  state  wherein  they  were 
without  violating  the  absolute  commands  of  God.  But 
otherwise,  though  the  difficulty  may  be  very  great,  an- 
other course  should  be  taken.  God's  people  should  have 
their  recourse  directly  to  the  throne  of  grace,  to  repre- 
sent their  difficulties  before  the  great  Shepherd  of  the 
sheep,  that  has  the  care  of  all  the  affairs  of  his  church ; 
and  when  they  have  done  they  should  wait  patiently  upon 
him.  If  they  do  so,  they  may  expect  that  in  his  time  he 
will  appear  for  their  deliverance ;  but  if,  instead  of  that, 
they  are  impatient, 'and  take  the  work  into  their  own 
hands,  they  will  betray  their  want  of  faith,  and  will  dis- 
honor God,  and  cannot  have  such  reason  to  hope  that 
Christ  will  appear  for  them  as  they  have  desired,  but 
have  reason  to  fear  that  he  will  leave  them  to  manage 
their  affairs  for  themselves  as  well  as  they  can  :  when 
otherwise,  if  they  had  waited  on  Christ  patiently,  con- 
tinuing still  instant  in  prayer,  they  might  have  had  him 
appearing  for  them  much, more  effectually  to  deliver  them. 
He  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste;  and  it  is  for  those 
that  are  found  patiently  waiting  on  the  Lord,  under  diffi- 
culties, that  he  will  especially  appear,  when  he  comes  to 
do  great  things  for  his  church,  as  is  evident  by  Isaiah, 
30  :  IS,  and  chap.  40,  at  the  latter  end,  and  49  :  23,  and 
Psalm  37  :  9,  and  many  other  places. 

I  have  somewhere,  not  long  since,  met  with  an  expo- 
sition of  those  words  of  the  spouse,  that  we  have  several 
times  repeated  in  the  book  of  Canticles,  "  I  charge  you, 
O  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  that  ye  stir  not  up  nor  awake 
my  love  until  he  please,"  which  is  the  only  satisfying  ex- 
position I  have  met,  and  to  this  purpose  :  that  when  the 
church  of  God  is  under  great  difficulties,  and  in  distress, 


406  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

and  Christ  does  not  appear  for  her  help,  but  seems  to 
neglect  her,  as  though  he  were  asleep,  God's  people,  or 
the  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  in  such  a  case  should  not 
show  a  hasty  spirit;  and  without  patience  to  wait  for 
Christ  to  awake  for  their  help  until  his  time  comes,  take 
indirect  courses  for  their  own  deliverance,  and  use  vio- 
lent means  for  their  escape  before  Christ  appears  to  open 
the  door  for  them  ;  and  so,  as  it  were,  stir  up  and  awake 
Christ  before  his  time.  When  the  church  is  in  distress, 
and  God  seems  not  to  appear  for  her  in  his  providence, 
he  is  very  often  represented  in  Scripture  as  being  asleep ; 
as  Christ  was  asleep  in  the  ship  when  the  disciples  were 
tossed  by  the  storm  and  the  ship  covered  with  waves  : 
and  God's  appearing  afterwards  for  his  people's  help  is 
represented  as  his  awaking  out  of  sleep.  Psalm  7  :  6,  and 
35  :  23,  and  44  :  23,  and  59  :  4,  and  63  :  20.  Christ  has 
an  appointed  time  for  his  thus  awaking  out  of  sleep  :  and 
his  people  ought  to  wait  upon  him ;  and  not,  in  an  impa- 
tient fit,  stir  him  up  before  his  time. 

It  is  worthy  to  be  observed  how  strictly  this  charge  is 
given  to  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  which  is  repeated 
three  times  in  the  book  of  Canticles,  chap.  2  :  7,  and  3  :  5, 
and  8:4.  In  the  second  chapter  and  first  six  verses  is 
represented  the  supports  Christ  gives  his  church  while 
she  is  in  a  suffering  state,  as  the  lily  among  thorns.  In  the 
seventh  verse  is  represented  her  patience  in  waiting  for 
Christ  to  appear  for  her  deliverance,  when  she  charges 
the  daughters  of  Jerusalem  not  to  stir  up  nor  awake  her 
love  until  he  please,  hy  the  roes  and  the  hinds  of  the  field, 
which  are  creatures  of  a  gentle,  harmless  nature,  are  not 
beasts  of  prey,  do  not  devour  one  another,  do  not  fight 
with  their  enemies,  but  fly  from  them,  and  are  of  a  plea- 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  407 

sant,  loving  nature.  Prov.  5  :  19.  In  the  next  verse  v^^e 
see  the  church's  success  in  this  way  of  waiting  under 
sufferings,  with  meekness  and  patience  :  Christ  soon 
awakes,  speedily  appears,  and  swiftly  comes ;  the  voice  of 
my  heloved  !  'Behold,  he  cometh,  leaping  tipon  the  mountains^ 
skipping  upon  the  hills  ! 

2.    Things  that  must  he   done   more   directly   to  advance 
the  work. 

What  has  been  mentioned  hitherto  has  relation  to  the 
behavior  we  are  obliged  to,  as  we  would  prevent  the  hin- 
derance  of  the  work ;  but  besides  these,  there  are  things 
that  must  be  done  more  directly  to  advance  it. 

And  here  it  concerns  every  one,  in  the  first  place,  to 
look  into  his  own  heart  and  see  to  it  that  he  be  a  partaker 
of  the  benefits  of  the  work  himself,  and  that  it  be  pro- 
moted in  his  own  soul.  Now  is  a  most  glorious  opportu- 
nity for  the  good  of  souls.  It  is  manifestly  with  respect 
to  a  time  of  the  great  revival  of  religion  in  the  world 
that  we  have  that  gracious,  earnest,  and  moving  invitation 
proclaimed  in  the  55th  of  Isaiah.  Ho,  every  one  that 
thirsteth  !  &c.  as  is  evident  by  what  precedes  in  the  fore- 
going chapter,  and  what  follows  in  this.  Here  in  the  6th 
verse  it  is  said,  "Seek  ye  the  Lord  while  he  may  be 
found  ;  call  ye  upon  him  while  he  is  near."  And  it  is 
with  special  reference  to  such  a  time  that  Christ  pro- 
claims as  he  does,  Rev.  21  :  6,^  "  I  will  give  unto  him 
that  is  athirst,  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely;" 
and  chap.  22  :  17,  "  The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come; 
and  let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come  ;  and  let  him  that  is 
athirst  come  ;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water 
of  life  freelv."  And  it  seems  to  be  with  reference  to  such 


408  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

a  time,  w^liich  is  typified  by  the  feast  of  tahernacles,  that 
Jesus  at  that  feast  stood  and  cried,  as  we  have  an  account, 
John,  7  ;  37,  38,  "  In  the  last  day,  that  great  day  of  the 
feast,  Jesus  stood  and  cried,  saying,  If  any  man  thirst,  let 
him  come  unto  me  and  drink.  He  that  believeth  on  me, 
out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water."  And  it  is 
with  special  reference  to  God's  freeness  and  readiness  to 
bestow  grace  at  such  a  time,  that  it  is  said  in  Isaiah,  60  :  11, 
of  the  spiritual  Jerusalem,  Thy  gates  shall  be  open  con- 
tinually, they  shall  not  he  shut  day  nor  night. 

And  though  I  judge  not  those  that  have  opposed  this 
work,  and  would  not  have  others  judge  them,  yet,  if  any 
such  shall  happen  to  read  this  treatise,  I  would  take  the- 
liberty  to  entreat  them  to  leave  off  concerning  themselves 
so  much  about  others,  and  look  into  their  own  souls,  and 
see  to  it  that  they  are  the  subjects  of  a  true,  saving  work 
of  the  Spirit  of  God.  If  they  have  reason  to  think  they 
never  have  been,  or  it  be  but  a  very  doubtful  hope  that 
they  have,  then  how  can  they  have  any  heart  to  be  busily 
and  fiercely  engaged  about  the  mistakes  and  the  sup- 
posed false  hopes  of  others  1  And  I  would  now  beseech 
those  that  have  hitherto  been  inclining  to  doubt  the  reali- 
ty of  any  such  work  of  grace,  seriously  to  weigh  the  mat- 
ter with  respect  to  this  work,  and  consider  whether,  if  the 
Scriptures  are  the  word  of  God,  the  work  that  has  been 
described  in  the  first  pai?t  of  this  treatise  must  not  be,  as 
to  the  substance  of  it,  the  work  of  God,  and  the  flourish- 
ing of  that  religion  that  is  taught  by  Christ  and  his  apos- 
tles ;  and  whether  any  good  medium  can  be  found  where 
a  man  can  rest,  with  any  stability,  between  owning  this 
work  and  being  a  deist  j  and  also  to  consider  whether, 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  409 

if  it  be  indeed  so  that,  tin's  be  tbe  worl<  of  God,  it  does  not 
entirely  overthrow  their  scheme  of  religion;  and  therefore 
whether  it  does  not  infinitely  concern  them,  as  they  would 
be  partakers  of  eternal  salvation,  to  relinquish  their 
scheme.  Now  is  a  good  time  for  them  to  change  their  prin- 
ciples. I  would  now,  as  one  of  the  friends  of  this  work, 
humbly  invite  them  to  come  and  join  with  us,  and  be  on 
our  side  ;  and  if  I  had  the  authority  of  Moses,  I  would  say 
to  them  as  he  did  to  Hobab,  Numb.  10  :  29,  "  We  are 
journeying  unto  the  place  of  which  the  Lord  said,  1  will 
give  it  you ;  come  thou  with  us  and  we  will  do  thee 
good;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good  concerning  Israel." 
As  the  benefit  and  advantage  of  the  good  improvement 
of  such  a  season  is  great ;  so  the  danger  of  neglecting  and 
misimproving  it  is  proportionably  great.  It  is  abundantly 
evident  by  the  Scriptures,  that  as  a  time  of  the  great  out- 
pouring of  the  Spirit  is  a  time  of  great  favor  to  those 
that  are  partakers  of  the  blessing ;  so  it  is  always  a  time 
of  remarkable  vengeance  to  others.  So  in  Isa.  61  :  2,  the 
same  that  is  called  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  is  call- 
ed also,  the  day  of  vengeance  of  our  God.  So  it  was 
amongst  the  Jews  in  the  apostles'  days  :  the  apostle,  in 
2  Cor.  6  :  2,  says  of  that  time,  that  it  was  "the  accepted 
time,  and  day  of  salvation ;  and  Christ  says  of  the  same 
time,  Luke,  21  :  22,  "  These  are  the  days  of  vengeance." 
At  the  same  time  that  the  blessings  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  were  given  to  some,  there  was  an  axe  laid  at  the 
root  of  the  trees,  that  those  that  did  not  bear  fruit  might 
be  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire.  Matt.  3  :  9,  10,  11. 
Then  was  glorified  both  the  goodness  and  severity  of 
God  in  a  remarkable  manner.  Rom.  11  :  22.  The  har- 
vest and  the  vintage  go  together :  at  the  same  time  that 

Rev.  of  Rcl.  3  g 


410  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

the  earth  is  reaper!,  and  God's  elect  are  gathered  into  the 
gamer  of  God,  the  angel  that  has  povrer  over  fire  thrusts 
in  his  sickle  and  gathers  the  clusters  of  the  vine  of  the 
earth,  and  casts  them  into  the  great  v\^ine-press  of  the 
v^rath  of  God,  Rev.  14  :  18,  19.  So  it  is  foretold,  that 
at  the  beginning  of  the  glorious  times  of  the  christian 
church,  at  the  same  time  that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  is 
known  towards  his  servants,  so  shall  his  indignation  be 
towards  his  enemies,  Isa.  66  :  14.  So  when  that  glorious 
morning  shall  appear,  wherein  the  Sun  of  righteousness 
shall  arise  to  the  elect  with  healing  in  his  wings,  the  day 
shall  bum  as  an  oven  to  the  wicked,  Mai.  4  :  1,  2,  3. 
There  is  no  time  like  such  a  time  for  the  increase  of 
guilt,  and  treasuring  up  wrath,  and  desperate  hardening 
of  the  heart,  if  men  stand  it  out ;  which  is  the  most  awful 
judgment  and  fruit  of  divine  wrath  that  can  be  inflicted 
on  any  mortal.  So  that  a  time  of  great  grace,  and  the 
pouring  out  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  fruits  of  divine  mercy, 
is  evermore  also  a  time  of  the  great  outpouring  of  some- 
thing else,  namely,  divine  vengeance  on  those  that  ne- 
glect and  raisimprove  such  a  season. 

The  state  of  the  present  revival  of  religion  has  an 
awful  aspect  in  respect  to  those  that  are  advanced  in 
years.  The  work  has  been  chiefly  amongst  those  that 
are  young ;  and  comparatively  but  a  few  others  have 
been  made  partakers  of  it.  And  indeed  it  has  commonly 
been  so  when  God  has  begun  any  great  work  for  the  re- 
vival of  his  church  ;  he  has  taken  the  young  people,  and 
has  cast  off*  the  old  and  stiff'-necked  generation.  There 
was  a  remarkable  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the 
children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  on  the  vounefer  sren- 
eration,  their  little  ones,  that  they  said,  shonld  be  a  prey,  the 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  411 

generation  that  entered  into  Canaan  with  Joshua ;  which 
is  evident  by  many  things  in  Scripture. 

That  generation  seems  to  have  been  the  most  excellent 
generation  that  ever  was  in  the  church  of  Israel.  There 
is  no  generation  of  which  there  is  so  much  good  and  so 
little  evil  spoken  in  Scripture ;  as  might  be  shown.  In 
that  generation,  that  were  under  twenty  years  when  they 
went  out  of  Egypt,  was  that  M7tdness  of  youth  and  love 
of  espousals  spoken  of,  Jer.  2  ;  2,  3.  But  the  old  genera- 
tion were  passed  by  and  remained  obstinate  and  stiff- 
necked,  were  always  murmuring,  and  would  not  be  con- 
vinced by  all  God's  wondrous  works  that  they  beheld. 
God,  by  his  awful  judgments  that  he  executed  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  the  affliction  that  the  people  suffered  there, 
convinced  and  humbled  the  younger  generation,  and  fittpd 
them  for  great  mercy;  as  is  evident  by  Deut.  2  :  16 ;  but 
he  destroyed  the  old  generation ;  lie  sivore  in  his  tvrath 
that  they  should  not  enter  info  his  rest,  and  their  carcasses 
fell  in  the  unlderness.  When  it  was  a  time  of  great  mer- 
cy and  the  pouring  out  of  God's  Spirit  on  their  children, 
it  was  remarkably  a  day  of  vengeance  unto  them,  as  ap- 
pears by  the  90th  Psalm. 

Let  the  old  generation  in  this  land  take  warning  from 
hence,  and  take  heed  that  they  do  not  refuse  to  be  con- 
vinced by  all  God's  wonders  that  he  works  before  their 
eyes,  and  that  they  do  not  continue  for  ever  objecting,  mur- 
muring and  cavilling  against  the  work  of  God,  lest,  while 
God  is  bringing  their  children  into  a  land  flowing  with 
milk  and  honey,  he  should  swear  in  his  wrath  concerning 
them,  that  their  carcasses  shall  fall  in  the  wilderness. 

So  when  God  had  a  design  of  great  mercy  to  the 
Jews,  in  bringing  them  out  of  the  Babylonish  captivity 


412  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

and  returning  them  to  their  own  land,  there  was  a  blessed 
outpouring  of  the  Spirit  upon  them  in  Babylon,  to  bring 
them  to  deep  conviction  and  repentance,  and  to  a  spirit 
of  prayer  to  cry  earnestly  to  God  for  mercy ;  which  is 
often  spoken  of  by  the  prophets:  but  it  was  not  upon  the 
old  generation  that  were  carried  captive.  The  captivity 
continued  just  long  enough  for  that  perverse  generation 
to  waste  away  and  die  in  their  captivity  ]  at  least  those  of 
them  that  were  adult  persons  when  carried  captive.  The 
old  generation  and  heads  of  families  were  exceeding  ob- 
stinate, and  would  not  hearken  to  the  earnest,  repeated 
warnings  of  the  prophet  Jeremiah  ;  but  he  had  greater 
success  among  the  young  people,  as  appears  by  Jer.  6  : 
10,  11,  "  To  whom  shall  I  speak  and  give  warning,  that 
they  may  hear]  Behold,  their  ear  is  uncircumcised,  and 
they  cannot  hearken  :  behold,  the  word  of  the  Lord  is 
unto  them  a  reproach  ;  they  have  no  delight  in  it.  There- 
fore, I  am  full  of  the  fury  of  the  Lord ;  I  am  weary  with 
holding  in ;  I  will  pour  it  out  upon  the  children  abroad, 
and  upon  the  assembly  of  the  young  men  together ;  for 
even  the  husband  with  the  wife  (i.  e.  the  heads  of  fami- 
lies and  parents  of  these  children)  shall  be  taken,  the 
aged  with  him  that  is  full  of  days." 

Blessed  be  God !  there  are  some  of  the  elder  people 
that  have  been  made  partakers  of  this  work ;  and  those 
that  are  most  awakened  by  these  warnings  of  God's 
word,  and  the  awful  frown  of  his  providence,  will  be 
most  likely  to  be  made  partakers  hereafter.  It  infinitely 
concerns  them  to  take  heed  to  themselves,  that  they  may 
be  partakers  of  it ;  for  how  dreadful  will  it  be  to  go  to 
hell,  after  having  spent  so  many  years  in  doing  nothing 
but  treasure  up  wrath. 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  413 

3.  Duties  of  ministers,  cmd  of  men  of  ivfluence  and  wealthy 
ifi  advancing  this  zvork. 
But  above  all  others  whatsoever  does  it  concern  us 
that  are  ministers  to  see  to  it  that  w^e  are  partakers  of 
this  work,  or  that  we  have  experience  of  the  saving  ope- 
rations of  the  same  Spirit  that  is  now  poured  out  on  the 
land.  How  sorrowful  and  melancholy  is  the  case  when 
it  is  otherwise  !  For  one  to  stand  at  the  head  of  a  con- 
gregation of  God's  people  as  representing  Christ  and 
speaking  in  his  stead,  and  to  act  the  part  of  a  shepherd 
and  guide  to  a  people  in  such  a  state  of  things,  when 
many  are  under  great  awakenings,  and  many  are  con- 
verted, and  many  of  God's  saints  are  filled  with  divine 
light,  love  and  joy,  and  to  undertake  to  instruct  and  lead 
them  all,  under  all  these  various  circumstances,  and  to  be 
constrained  continually  to  play  the  hypocrite  and  force 
the  airs  of  a  saint  in  preaching ;  and  from  time  to  time 
in  private  conversation,  and  particular  dealing  with  souls, 
to  undertake  to  judge  of  their  circumstances,  to  try  to 
talk  with  those  that  come  to  him,  as  if  he  knew  what  they 
said ;  to  try  to  talk  with  persons  of  experience,  as  if  he 
knew  how  to  converse  with  them,  and  had  experience  as 
well  as  they ;  to  make  others  believe  that  he  rejoices  when 
others  are  converted,  and  to  force  a  pleased  and  joyful 
countenance  and  manner  of  speech  when  there  is  nothing 
in  the  heart,  what  sorrowful  work  is  here  !  Oh  !  how  mise- 
rably must  such  a  person  feel !  What  a  wretched  bondage 
and  slavery  is  this  !  What  pains  and  how  much  art  must 
such  a  minister  use  to  conceal  himself!  And  how  weak  are 
his  hands  !  besides  the  infinite  provocation  of  the  most 
high  God,  and  the  displeasure  of  his  Lord  and  Master 
that  he  incurs  by  continuing  a  secret  enemy  to  him  in  his 


414  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

heart  in  such  circumstances.  I  think  there  is  a  gi-eat 
deal  of  reason  from  the  Scripture  to  conclude  that  no 
men  in  the  world  will  be  so  low  in  hell  as  ungodly 
ministers  :  every  thing  that  is  spoken  of  in  Scripture 
as  that  which  aggravates  guilt  and  heightens  divine 
wrath,  meets  in  them ;  however  some  particular  persons, 
of  other  classes,  may  he  more  guilty  than  some  of  these. 
And  what  great  disadvantages  are  unconverted  minis- 
ters under  to  oppose  any  irregularities,  or  imprudences, 
or  intemperate  zeal  that  they  may  see  in  those  that  are 
the  children  of  God,  when  they  are  conscious  to  them- 
selves that  they  have  no  zeal  at  all !  If  enthusiasm  or 
wildness  comes  in  like  a  flood,  what  poor,  weak  instru- 
ments are  such  ministers  to  withstand  it !  With  what 
courage  can  they  open  their  mouths  when  they  look  .in- 
ward and  consider  how  it  is  with  them  ! 
y-  We  that  are  ministers  not  only  have  need  of  some  true 

experience  of  the  saving  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
upon  our  hearts,  but  we  need  a  double  portion  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  at  such  a  time  as  this :  we  had  need  to  be  as  full 
of  light  as  a  glass  is  that  is  held  out  in  the  sun;  and  with 
respect  to  love  and  zeal,  we  had  need  at  this  day  to  be 
like  the  angels  that  are  a  flame  of  fire.  The  state  of  the 
times  extremely  requires  a  fulness  of  the  divine  Spirit  in 
ministers,  and  we  ought  to  give  ourselves  no  rest  until 
we  have  obtained  it.  And  in  order  to  this,  I  should  think 
ministers,  above  all  persons,  otight  to  be  much  in  secret 
prayer  and  fasting,  and  also  much  in  praying  and  fasting 
one  with  another.  It  seems  to  me  it  would  be  becoming 
the  circumstances  of  the  present  day,  if  ministers  in  a 
neighborhood  would  often  meet  together  and  spend  days 
in  fasting  and   fervent  prayer  among  themselves,  ear- 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  415 

nestly  seeking  for  those  extraordinary  supplies  of  divine 
gi'ace  from  heaven  that  vv^e  need  at  this  day  :  and  also, 
if  on  their  occasional  visits  one  to  another,  instead  of 
spending  their  time  in  sitting  and  smoking,  and  in  di- 
verting, or  worldly,  unprofitable  conversation,  telling 
news,  and  making  their  remarks  on  this  and  the  other 
trifling  subject,  they  would  spend  their  time  in  praying 
together,  and  singing  praises,  and  religious  conference. 
How  much  do  many  of  the  common  people  shame  many 
of  us  that  are  in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  in  these 
respects  1  Surely  we  do  not  behave  ourselves  so  much 
like  christian  ministers  and  the  disciples  and  ambas- 
sadors of  Christ  as  we  ought  to  do.  And  while  we  con- 
demn zealous  persons  for  their  doing  so  much  at  cen- 
suring ministers  at  this  day,  it  ought  not  to  be  without 
deep  reflections  upon  and  great  condemnation  of  our- 
selves ;  for  indeed  we  do  very  much  to  provoke  censo- 
riousness,  and  lay  a  great  temptation  before  others  to 
the  sin  of  judging;  and  if  we  can  prove  that  those  that 
are  guilty  of  it  do  transgress  the  Scripture  rule,  yet  our 
indignation  should  be  chiefly  against  ourselves. 

Ministers  at  this  day  in  a  special  manner  should  act  as 
Jellow-helpers  in  their  gi'eat  work.  It  should  be  seen  that 
they  are  animated  and  engaged,  and  exert  themselves 
with  one  heart  and  soul,  and  with  united  strength,  to 
promote  the  present  glorious  revival  of  religion :  and  to 
that  end  they  should  often  meet  together  and  act  in  con- 
cert. And  if  it  were  a  common  thing  in  the  country  for 
ministers  to  join  in  public  exercises,  and  second  one 
another  in  their  preaching,  I  believe  it  would  be  of  great 
service.  I  mean  that  ministers,  having  consulted  one 
another  as  to  the    subjects  of  their   discourses  before 


416  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

they  go  to  the  house  of  God,  should  there  speak  (two  or 
three  of  them)  in  short  discourses,  as  seconding  each 
other,  and  earnestly  enforcing  each  other's  warnings  and 
counsels.  Only  such  an  appearance  of  united  zeal  in 
ministers  would  have  a  great  tendency  to  awaken  atten- 
tion, an.d  much  to  impress  and  animate  the  hearers,  as 
has  been  found  by  experience  in  some  parts  of  the 
country. 

Ministers  should  carefully  avoid  weakening  one  ano- 
ther's hands ;  and  therefore  every  thing  should  be  avoid- 
ed by  which  their  interest  with  their  people  might  be 
diminished,  or  their  union  with  them  broken.  On  the 
contrary,  if  ministers  have  not  forfeited  their  acceptance 
in  that  character  in  the  visible  church  by  their  doctrine 
or  behavior,  their  brethren  in  the  ministry  ought  stu- 
diously to  endeavor  to  heighten  the  esteem  and  affection 
of  their  people  towards  them,  that  they  may  have  no 
temptation  to  repent  their  admitting  other  ministers  to 
come  and  preach  in  their  pulpits. 

Two  things  that  are  exceedingly  needful  in  ministers, 
as  they  would  do  much  to  advance  the  kingdom  of  Christ, 
are  zeal  and  resolution.  The  influence  and  power  of  these 
things  to  bring  to  pass  great  effects,  is  gi'eater  than  can 
well  be  imagined  :  a  man  of  but  an  ordinary  capacity 
will  do  more  with  them  than  one  of  ten  times  the  parts 
and  learning  without  them  :  more  may  be  done  with 
them  in  a  few  days,  or  at  least  weeks,  than  can  be  done 
without  them  in  many  years.  Those  that  are  possessed 
of  these  qualities  commonly  carry  the  day  in  almost  all 
affairs.  Most  of  the  great  things  that  have  been  done  in 
the  world  of  mankind,  the  great  revolutions  that  have 
been  gxcomplished  in  the  kingdoms  and  empires  of  the 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  417 

eartli,  have  been  chiefly  owing  to  these  things.  The  very 
sight  or  appearance  of  a  thoroughly  engaged  spirit,  to- 
gether with  fearless  courage  and  unyielding  resolution, 
in  any  person  that  has  undertaken  the  managing  of  any 
affair  amongst  mankind,  goes  a  great  way  towards  ac' 
complishing  the  effect  aimed  at.  It  is  evident  that  the 
appearance  of  these  things  in  Alexander  did  three  times 
as  much  towards  his  conquering  the  world  as  all  the 
blows  that  he  struck.  And  how  much  were  the  great 
things  that  Oliver  Cromwell  did,  owing  to  these  things ! 
And  the  greater  things  that  Mr.  "Whitefield  has  done 
every  where,  as  he  has  run  through  the  British  domi- 
nions (so  far  as  they  are  owing  to  means,)  are  very  much 
owing  to  the  appearance  of  these  things  which  he  is 
eminently  possessed  of.  When  the  people  see  these 
things  apparently  in  a  person,  and  to  a  great  degree,  it 
awes  them,  and  has  a  commanding  influence  upon  their 
minds ;  it  seems  to  them  that  they  must  yield  ;  they  na- 
turally fall  before  them,  without  standing  to  contest  or 
dispute  the  matter ;  they  are  conquered  as  it  were  by 
surprise.  But  while  we  are  cold  and  heartless,  and  only 
go  on  in  a  dull  manner,  in  an  old  formal  round,  we  shall 
never  do  any  great  good. 

Our  feeble  attempts,  the  appearance  of  such  coldness 
and  irresolution,  will  not  so  much  as  make  persons  think 
of  yielding ;  they  will  hardly  be  sufficient  to  put  it  into 
their  minds  ;  and  if  it  be  put  in  their  minds,  the  appear- 
ance of  such  indifference  and  cowardice  does  as  it  were 
call  for  and  provoke  opposition.  Our  misery  is  want 
of  zeal  and  courage ;  for  not  only  through  want  of  them 
does  all  fail  that  we  seem  to  attempt,  but  it  prevents  our 
attempting  any  thing  very  remarkable  for  the  kingdom 
18* 


418  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL 

of  Christ.  Hence  oftentimes  it  has  been,  that  when  any 
thing  very  considerable,  that  is  new,  is  proposed  to  be 
done  for  the  advancement  of  religion  or  the  public  good, 
many  difficulties  are  found  out  that  are  in  the  way,  and 
a  great  many  objections  are  started,  and  it  may  be  it  is 
put  off  from  one  to  another;  but  nobody  does  any  thing. 
After  this  manner  good  designs  or  proposals  have  often- 
times failed,  and  have  sunk  as  soon  as  proposed.  Where- 
as if  we  had  but  Mr.  Whitefield's  zeal  and  courage,  what 
could  not  we  do,  with  such  a  blessing  as  we  might 
expect  ] 

Zeal  and  courage  will  do  much  in  persons  of  but  an 
ordinary  capacity;  but  especially  would  they  do  great 
things  if  joined  with  gi'eat  abilities.  If  some  great  men 
that  have  appeared  in  our  nation  had  been  as  eminent 
in  divinity  as  they  were  in  philosophy,  and  had  engaged 
in  the  christian  cause  with  as  much  zeal  and  fervor  as 
some  others  have  done,  and  \yiih.  a  proportionable  bless- 
ing of  heaven,  they  would  have  conquered  all  Christen- 
dom, and  turned  the  world  upside  down.  "We  have 
many  ministers  in  the  land  that  do  not  want  for  abil- 
ities, they  are  persons  of  bright  parts  and  learning ;  they 
should  consider  how  much  is  expected  and  will  be  re- 
quired of  them  by  their  Lord  and  Master,  and  how  much 
they  might  do  for  Christ,  and  what  great  honor,  and  how 
glorious  a  reward  they  might  receive,  if  they  had  in 
theii*  hearts  a  heavenly  warmth  and  divine  heat  propor- 
tionable to  their  light. 

With  respect  to  candidates  Jo?-  the  mbiistnj,  I  will  not 
undertake  particularly  to  determine  what  kind  of  exam- 
ination or  trial  they  should  pass  under,  in  order  to  their 
admission  to  that  sacred  work  :  but  I  think  this  is  evi^ 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PRGIVIOTED.  419 

dent  from  the  Scripture,  that  another  sort  of  trial,  with 
regard  to  their  virtue  and  piety,  is  requisite,  than  is  re- 
quired in  order  to  persons  being  admitted  into  the  visible 
church.  The  apostle  directs  that  hands  he  laid  suddenly 
on  no  man  ;  but  that  they  should^r*^  he  tried  before  they 
are  admitted  to  the  work  of  the  ministry :  but  it  is  evi- 
dent that  persons  were  suddenly  admitted,  by  baptism, 
into  the  visible  church,  from  time  to  time,  on  their  pro- 
fession of  their  faith  in  Christ,  without  such  caution  and 
strictness  in  their  probation.  And  it  seems  to  me,  those 
would  act  very  unadvisedly  that  should  enter  on  this 
great  and  sacred  work  before  they  had  comfortable  sat- 
isfaction concerning  themselves  that  they  have  had  a 
saving  v/ork  of  God  on  their  souls. 

And  though  it  may  be  thought  that  I  go  out  of  my  pro- 
per sphere  to  intermeddle  in  the  affairs  of  the  colleges^ 
yet  I  will  take  the  liberty  of  an  Englishman  (that  speaks 
his  mind  freely  concerning  public  affairs)  and  the  liberty 
of  a  minister  of  Christ  (who  doubtless  may  speak  his 
mind  as  freely  about  things  that  concern  the  kingdom  of 
his  Lord  and  INI  aster)  to  give  ray  opinion  in  some  things 
with  respect  to  those  societies  or  institutions  ;  the  origin- 
al and  main  design  of  which  is  to  train  up  persons  and 
fit  them  for  the  work  oi  the  ministry.  And  I  would  say 
in  general,  that  it  appears  to  me  that  care  should  be 
taken,  some  way  or  other,  that  those  societies  should  be 
so  regulated  that  they  should,  in  fact,  be  nurseries  of 
piety :  otherwise,  they  are  fundamentally  ruined  and 
undone,  as  to  their  main  design  and  most  essential  end. 
They  ought  to  be  so  constituted  that  vice  and  idleness 
should  have  no  living  there  :  they  are  intolerable  in  so- 
cieties whose  main  design  is  to  train  up  youth  in  chris- 


420  THOUGHTS    ON   THE    REVIVAL. 

tian  knowledge  and  eminent  piety,  to  fit  them  to  be  pas- 
tors of  the  flock  of  the  blessed  Jesus. 

I  have  heretofore  had  some  acquaintance  with  the  af- 
fairs of  a  college,  and  experience  of  what  belonged  to  its 
tuition  and  government ;  and  I  cannot  but  think  that  it  is 
practicable  enough  so  to  constitute  such  societies  that 
there  should  be  no  being  there  without  being  virtuous, 
serious,  and  diligent.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  a  reproach 
to  the  land  that  ever  it  should  be  so  with  our  colleges, 
that  instead  of  being  places  of  the  greatest  advantages 
for  true  piety,  one -cannot  send  a  child  thither  without 
great  danger  of  his  being  infected,  as  to  his  morals  ;  as  it 
has  certainly  sometimes  been  with  these  societies  :  it  is 
perfectly  intolerable  ;  and  any  thing  should  be  done 
rather  than  it  should  be  so.  If  we  pretend  to  have  any 
colleges  at  all,  under  any  notion  of  training  up  youth  for 
the  ministry,  there  should  be  some  way  found  out  that 
should  certainly  prevent  its  being  thus.  To  have  socie- 
ties for  bringing  persons  up  to  be  ambassadors  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  to  lead  souls  to  heaven,  and  to  have  them 
places  of  so  much  infection,  is  the  greatest  absurdity 
imaginable. 

And,  as  thorough  and  effectual  care  should  be  taken 
that  vice  and  idleness  are  not  tolerated  in  these  societies, 
so  certainly  the  design  of  them  requires  that  extraordi- 
nary means  should  be  used  in  them,  for  training  up  the 
students  in  vital  religion  and  experimental  and  practical 
godliness  ;  so  that  they  should  be  holy  societies,  the  very 
place  should  be  as  it  were  sacred  ;  they  should  be,  in 
the  midst  of  the  land,  fountains  of  piety  and  holiness. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  pains  taken  to  teach  the  scholars 
human  learning  :  there  ought  to  be  as  much,  and  more 


HOW    IT    SHOtlLD    BE    PROMOTED.  421 

care,  thoroughly  to  educate  them  in  religion,  and  lead 
them  to  true  and  eminent  holiness.  If  the  main  design 
of  these  nurseries  is  to  bring  up  persons  to  teach  Christ, 
then  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  there  should  be 
care  and  pains  taken  to  bring  those  that  are  there  edu- 
cated, to  the  knowledge  of  Christ.  It  has  been  common 
in  our  public  prayers  to  call  these  societies  the  schools 
of  the  prophets;  and  if  they  are  schools  to  train  up  young 
men  to  be  prophets,  certainly  there  ought  to  be  extra- 
ordinary care  taken  to  train  them  up  to  be  christians. 

And  I  cannot  see  why  it  is  not  on  all  accounts  fit  and 
convenient  for  the  governors  and  instructors  of  the  col- 
leges, particularly,  singly  and  frequently  to  converse 
with  the  students  about  the  state  of  their  souls ;  as  is  the 
practice  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Doddridge,  one  of  the  most 
noted  of  the  present  dissenting  ministers  in  England, 
who  keeps  an  academy  at -Northampton,  as  he  himself 
informs  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wadsworth,  of  Hartford,  in  Connec- 
ticut, in  a  letter  dated  at  Northampton,  March  6,  1741. 
The  original  of  which  letter  I  have  seen,  and  have  by  me 
an  extract  of  it,  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Wadsworth ;  which 
is  as  follows  : 

"  Through  the  Divine  goodness,  I  have  every  year  the 
pleasure  to  see  some  plants  taken  out  of  my  nursery  and 
set  in  neighboring  congregations ;  where  they  generally 
settle  with  a  unanimous  consent,  and  that  to  a  very  re- 
markable degree,  in  some  very' large  and  once-divided 
congregations  :  a  circumstance  in  which  I  own  and 
adore  the  hand  of  a  wise  and  gracious  God  ;  and  cannot 
but  look  upon  it  as  a  token  for  good.  I  have  at  present 
a  greater  proportion  of  pious  and  ingenious  youth  under 
my  care  than  I   ever  before  had.    So  that  I  hope  the 


422  THOUGHTS    ON   THE    REVIVAL. 

church  may  reasonably  expect  some  considerable  relief 
from  hence,  if  God  spare  their  lives  a  few  years,  and  con- 
tinue to  them  those  gracious  assistances  which  he  has 
hitherto  mercifully  imparted.  I  will  not,  Sir,  trouble  you 
at  present  with  a  large  account  of  my  method  of  acade- 
mical education  :  only  would  observe  that  I  think  it  of 
vast  importance  to  instruct  them  carefully  in  the  Scrip- 
tures ;  and  not  only  endeavor  to  establish  them  in  the 
great  truths  of  Christianity,  but  to  labor  to  promote  their 
practical  influence  on  their  hearts.  For  which  purpose 
I  frequently  converse  with  each  of  them  alone,  and  con- 
clude the  conversation  with  prayer.  This  does  indeed 
take  up  a  great  deal  of  time ;  but  I  bless  God  it  is  am- 
ply repaid  in  the  pleasure  I  have  in  seeing  my  labor  is 
not  in  vain  in  the  Lord." 

There  are  some  that  are  not  ministers,  nor  are  concern- 
ed immediately  in  those  things  that  appertain  to  their 
office,  or  in  the  education  of  persons  for  it,  that  are  under 
great  advantages  to  promote  such  a  glorious  work  as  this. 
Some  laymen,,  though  it  be  not  their  business  publicly 
to  exhort  and  teach,  yet  are,  in  some  respects,  under 
greater  advantage  to  encourage  and  forward  this  work 
than  ministers.  As  particularly  men  that  are  high  in 
honor  and  influence.  How  much  might  such  do  to  en- 
courage religion,  and  open  the  way  for  it  to  have  free 
course,  and  bear  down  opposition,  if  they  were  but  in- 
clined !  There  is  commonly  a  certain  unhappy  shyness 
in  great  men,  with  respect  to  religion,  as  though  they 
were  ashamed  of  it,  or  at  least  ashamed  to  do  very  much 
for  it ;  whereby  they  dishonor  and  doubtless  greatly  pro- 
voke the  King  of  kings,  and  very  much  wound  religion 
among  the  common  people.     They  are  careful  of  their 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  423 

honor,  and  seem  to  be  afraid  of  appearing  openly  for- 
ward and  zealous  in  religion,  as  though  it  were  what 
would  debase  their  character  and  expose  them  to  con- 
tempt. But  in  this  day  of  bringing  up  the  ark  they  ought 
to  be  like  David,  that  great  king  of  Israel,  who  made 
himself  vile  before  the  ark ;  and  as  he  was  the  highest  in 
honor  and  dignity  among  God's  people,  so  he  thought  it 
became  him  to  appear  foremost  in  the  zeal  and  activity 
he  manifested  on  that  occasion ;  thereby  animating  and 
encouraging  the  whole  congregation  to  praise  the  Lord, 
and  rejoice  before  him  with  all  their  might :  and  though 
it  diminished  him  in  the  eyes  of  scoffing  Michal,  yet 
it  did  not  at  all  abate  the  honor  and  esteem  of  the  con- 
gregation of  Israel,  but  advanced  it;  as  appears  by  2 
Sam.  6  :  22. 

Rich  men  have  a  talent  in  their  hands,  in  the  disposal 
and  improvement  of  which  they  might  very  much  pro- 
mote such  a  work  as  this,  if  they  were  so  disposed.  They 
are  far  beyond  others  under  advantages  to  do  good,  and 
lay  up  for  themselves  treasures  in  heaven.  What  a  cause 
of  lamentation  is  it,  that  for  want  of  a  heart  they  com- 
monly have  no  share  at  all  there,  but  heaven  is  peopled 
mostly  with  the  poor  of  this  world !  One  would  think 
that  our  rich  men,  that  call  themselves  christians,  might 
devise  some  notable  things  to  do  with  their  money,  to 
advance  the  kingdom  of  their  professed  Redeemer  and 
the  prosperity  of  the  souls  of  men,  at  this  time  of  such 
extraordinary  opportunities  for  it.  It  seems  to  me,  that 
in  this  age  most  of  us  have  but  very  narrow,  penurious 
notions  of  Christianity,  as  it  respects  our  use  and  disposal 
of  our  temporal  goods. 

The  primitive  christians  had  not  such  notions  :  they 


424  THOUGHTS    ON   THE    REVIVAL. 

were  trained  up  by  the  apostles  in  another  way.  God 
has  greatly  distinguished  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  New 
England  from  others,  in  the  abundance  that  he  has  given 
them  of  the  good  things  of  this  life.  If  they  could  now  be 
persuaded  to  lay  out  some  considerable  part  of  that  which 
God  has  given  them  for  the  honor  of  God,  and  lay  it  up 
in  heaven,  instead  of  spending  it  for  their  own  honor  or 
laying  it  up  for  their  posterity,  they  would  not  repent  of 
it  afterwards.  How  liberally  did  the  heads  of  the  tribes 
contribute  of  their  wealth  at  the  setting  up  the  tabernacle, 
though  it  was  in  a  barren  w^ilderness  !  These  are  the  days 
of  the  erecting  of  the  tabernacle  of  God  amongst  us.  We 
have  a  particular  account  how  the  goldsmiths  and  the  mer- 
chants helped  to  rebuild  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  Neh.  3  : 
32.  The  days  are  coming  spoken  of  in  Scripture,  and  I 
believe  not  very  far  off,  when  the  sons  of  Zion  shall 
come  from  far,  hringing  tJieir  silver  and  their  gold  icith 
them,  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord  their  God,  and  to  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel ;  and  when  the  merchants  of  the  earth 
shall  trade  for  Christ  more  than  for  themselves,  and  their 
merchandise  and  hire  shall  be  holiness  to  the  Lord,  and 
shall  not  be  treasured  or  laid  up  for  posterity,  but  shall 
be  for  them  that  dwell  before  the  Lord,  to  eat  sufficiently, 
and  for  durable  clothing  ;  and  when  the  ships  of  Tarshish 
shall  bring  the  wealth  of  the  distant  parts  of  the  earth  to 
the  place  of  God's  sanctuary,  and  to  make  the  place  of 
his  feet  glorious  ;  and  the  abundance  of  the  sea  shall  be 
converted  into  the  use  of  God's  church,  and  she  shall 
suck  the  milk  of  the  Gentiles,  and  suck  the  breasts  of 
kings.  The  days  are  coming,  when  the  great  and  rich 
men  of  the  world  shall  bring  their  honor  and  glory  into  the 
church,  and   shall,  as  it  were,  strip  themselves  to  spread 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  425 

their  garments  under  Christ's  feet,  as  he  enters  trium- 
phantly into  Jerusalem  ;  and  when  those  that  will  not 
do  so  shall  have  no  glory,  and  their  silver  and  gold  shall 
be  cankered,  and  their  garments  moth-eaten ;  for  the 
saints  shall  then  inherit  the  earth,  and  they  shall  reign 
on  earth,  and  those  that  honor  God  he  will  honor,  and 
those  that  despise  him  shall  be  lightly  esteemed. 

If  some  of  our  rich  men  would  give  one  quarter  of  their 
estates  to  promote  this  work,  they  would  act  a  little  as 
if  they  were  designed  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  and 
a  little  as  rich  men  will  act  by  and  by,  that  shall  be 
partakers  of  the  spiritual  wealth  and  glories  of  that 
kingdom. 

Great  things  might  be  done  for  the  advancement  of 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  at  this  day,  by  those  that  have 
ability,  by  establishing  funds  for  the  support  a7id  propaga- 
tion of  religion  :  by  supporting  some  that  are  eminently 
qualified  with  gifts  and  grace,  in  preaching  the  Gospel  in 
certain  parts  of  the  country  that  are  more  destitute  of  the 
means  of  grace ;  in  searching  out  children  of  promising 
abilities,  and  their  hearts  full  of  love  to  Christ,  but  of 
poor  families  (as  doubtless  there  are  such  now  in  the 
land,)  and  bringing  them  up  for  the  ministry  ;  and  in  dis- 
tributing books  that  are  remarkably  fitted  to  promote 
vital  religion,  and  have  a  great  tendency  to  advance  this 
work;  or  if  they  would  only  bear  the  trouble,  expense, 
and  loss  of  sending  such  books  into  various  parts  of  the 
land  to  be  sold,  it  might  be  an  occasion  that  ten  times  so 
many  of  those  books  should  be  bought  as  otherwise 
would  be  ;  and  in  establishing  and  supporting  schools  in 
poor  towns  and  villages  ;  which  might  be  done  on  such 
a  foundation,  as  not  only  to  bring  up  children  in  common 


426  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

learning,  but  also  might  very  much  tend  to  their  convic- 
tion and  conversion,  and  being  trained  up  in  vital  piety ; 
and  doubtless  something  might  be  done  in  this  way  in 
old  and  more  populous  places,  that  might  have  a  great 
tendency  to  the  flourishing  of  religion  in  the  rising  gen- 
eration. 

4.  Some  duties  devolving  upon  all  in  general. 

But  I  vv^ould  now  proceed  to  mention  some  things, 
that  ought  to  be  done  at  such  a  day  as  this,  that  concern 
all  in  general. 

And  here  the  first  thing  I  shall  mention  is  fasting 
and  prayer.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  circumstances  of 
the  present  work  do  loudly  call  God's  people  to  abound 
in  this;  whether  they  consider  the  experience  God  has 
lately  given  them  of  the  worth  of  his  presence,  and  of 
the  blessed  fruits  of  the  effusions  of  his  Spirit,  to  excite 
them  to  pray  for  the  continuance,  and  increase,  and  great- 
er extent  of  such  blessings ;  or  whether  they  consider  the 
great  encouragement  God  has  lately  given  them  to  pray 
for  the  outpourings  of  his  Spirit,  and  the  carrying  on  this 
work,  by  the  great  manifestations  he  has  lately  made  of 
the  freeness  and  riches  of  his  grace ;  and  how  mueh  there 
is,  in  v/hat  we  have  seen  of  the  glorious  works  of  God's 
power  and  grace,  to  put  us  in  mind  of  the  yet  greater 
things  of  this  nature  that  he  has  spoken  of  in  his  word, 
and  to  excite  our  longings  for  those  things,  and  hopes  of 
their  approach ;  or  whether  we  consider  the  great  oppo- 
sition that  Satan  makes  against  this  work,  and  the  many 
difficulties  with  which  it  is  clogged,  and  the  distressing 
circumstances  that  some  parts  of  God's  church  in  this 
land  are  under  at  this  day,  on  one  account  and  another 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  427 

So  is  God's  will,  through  this  wonderful  grace,  that 
the  prayers  of  his  saints  should  be  one  great  and  princi- 
pal means  of  carrying  on  the  designs  of  Christ's  kingdom 
in  the  world.  When  God  has  something  very  great  to 
accomplish  for  his  church,  it  is  his  will  that  there  should 
precede  it  the  extraordinary  prayers  of  his  people  ;  as 
is  manifest  by  Ezek.  36  :  37,  **  I  will  yet  for  this  be  in- 
quired of  by  the  house  of  Israel,  to  do  it  for  them  ;"  to- 
gether with  the  context.  And  it  is  revealed  that  when 
God  is  about  to  accomplish  great  things  for  his  church, 
he  will  begin  by  remarkably  pouring  out  the  Spirit  of 
grace  and  supplication,  Zech.  12  :  10.  If  we  are  not  to 
expect  that  the  devil  should  go  out  of  a  particular  person, 
that  is  under  a  bodily  possession,  without  extraordinary 
prayer,  or  prayer  and  fasting  ;  how  much  less  should  we 
expect  to  have  him  cast  out  of  the  land  and  the  world 
without  it. 

I  am  sensible  that  considerable  has  been  done  in  duties 
of  this  nature  in  some  places ;  but  I  do  not  think  so  much 
as  God,  in  the  present  dispensations  of  his  providence, 
calls  fbr.  I  should  think  the  people  of  God  in  this  land, 
at  such  a  time  as  this  is,  would  be  in  the  way  of  their 
duty  to  do  three  times  so  much  at  fasting  and  prayer  as 
they  do  ;  not  only  nor  principally  for  the  pouring  out 
of  the  Spirit  on  those  towns  or  places  where  they  be- 
long ;  but  that  God  would  appear  for  his  church,  and  in 
mercy  to  miserable  men  carry  on  his  work  in  the  land, 
and  in  the  world  of  mankind,  and  fulfil  the  things  that  he 
has  spoken  in  his  word,  that  his  church  has  been  so  long 
wishing  and  hoping  and  waiting  for.  They  that  make 
mention  of  the  Lord  at  this  day,  ought  not  to  keep  silence^ 
and  should  give  God  no  rest  until  he  estahlish,  and  until 


428  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

he  make  Jerusalem  a  praise  in  the  earth,  agreeably  to 
Isaiah,  62  :  6,  7. 

Before  the  first  great  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
on  the  christian  church,  w^hich  began  at  Jerusalem,  the 
church  of  God  gave  themselves  to  incessant  prayer,  Acts, 
1  :  13,  14.  There  is  a  time  spoken  of,  w^herein  God  will 
remarkably  and  wonderfully  appear  for  the  deliverance 
of  his  church  from  all  her  enemies,  and  when  he  will 
avenge  his  oirni  elect;  and  Christ  reveals  that  this  will  be 
in  answer  to  their  incessant  prayers,  or  crying  day  and 
night,  Luke,  18  :  7.  In  Israel,  the  day  of  atonement, 
which  was  their  great  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  preced- 
ed and  made  way  for  the  glorious  and  joyful  feast  oj 
tabernacles.  When  Christ  is  mystically  born  into  the 
world,  to  rule  over  all  nations,  it  is  represented  in  the 
12th  chapter  of  Revelation  as  being  in  consequence  of 
the  church's  crying,  and  travailing  i?i  birth,  and  being  pain- 
ed to  be  delivered.  One  thing  here  intended,  doubtless, 
is  her  crying  and  agonizing  in  prayer. 

God  seems  now  at  this  very  time  to  be  waiting  for  this 
from  us.  When  God  is  about  to  bestow  some  gi'eat  bless- 
ing on  his  church,  it  is  often  his  manner,  in  the  first  place, 
so  to  order  things  in  his  providence  as  to  show  his  church 
their  great  need  of  it,  and  to  bring  them  into  distress  for 
want  of  it,  and  so  put  them  upon  crying  earnestly  to  him 
for  it.  And  let  us  consider  God's  present  dispensations 
towards  his  church  in  this  land.  A  glorious  work  of  his 
grace  has  been  begun  and  earned  on ;  and  God  has,  of 
late,  suffered  innumerable  difficulties  to  arise  that  do  in 
a  great  measure  clog  and  hinder  it,  and  bring  many  of 
God's  dear  children  into  great  distress.  And  yet  he  does 
not  wholly  forsake  the  work  of  his  hand ;  there  are  re* 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  429 

markable  tokens  of  his  presence  still  to  be  seen  here 
and  there  ;  as  though  he  was  not  forward  to  forsake  us, 
and  (if  I  may  so  say)  as  though  he  had  a  mind  to  carry 
on  his  work  ;  but  only  was  waiting  for  something  that  he 
expected  in  us  as  requisite  in  order  to  it.  And  we  have 
a  great  deal  of  reason  to  think  that  one  thing  at  least  is, 
that  we  should  further  acknowledge  the  greatness  and 
necessity  of  such  a  mercy,  and  our  dependence  on  God 
for  it,  in  earnest  and  importunate  prayer  to  him.  By  the 
many  errors  that  have  been  run  into,  and  the  wounds  we 
have  thereby  given  ourselves  and  the  cause  that  we 
would  promote,  and  the  mischief  and  confusion  we  have 
thereby  made,  God  has  hitherto  been  remarkably  show- 
ing us  our  great  and  universal  dependence  on  him,  and 
exceeding  need  of  his  help  and  grace  :  which  should  en- 
gage our  cries  to  him  for  it. 

There  is  no  way  that  christians  in  a  private  capacity 
can  do  so  much  to  promote  the  work  of  God,  and  advance 
the  kingdom  of  Christ,  as  by  prayer.  By  this  even  wo- 
men, children,  and  servants  may  have  a  public  influence. 
Let  persons  be  never  so  weak,  and  never  so  mean,  and 
under  never  so  poor  advantages  to  do  much  for  Christ  and 
the  souls  of  men  otherwise ;  yet,  if  they  have  much  of  the 
spirit  of  grace  and  supplication,  in  this  way  they  may 
have  power  with  Him  that  is  infinite  in  power,  and  has 
the  government  of  the  whole  world  :  and  so  a  poor  man 
in  his  cottage  may  have  a  blessed  influence  all  over  the 
world.  God  is,  if  I.  may  so  say,  at  the  command  of  the 
prayer  of  faith;  and  in  this  respect  is,  as  it  were,  under 
the  power  of  his  people  ;  as  princes,  they  have  poioer  luith 
God,  and  prevail :  though  they  may  be  private  persons, 
their  prayers  are  put  up  in  the  name  of  a  Mediator,  that 


430  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

is  a  public  person,  being  the  head  of  the  whole  church 
and  the  Lord  of  the  universe  :  and  if  they  have  a  great 
sense  of  the  importance  of  eternal  things,  and  concern 
for-the  precious  souls  of  men,  yet  they  need  not  regret  it 
that  they  are  not  preachers ;  they  may  go  in  their  ear- 
nestness and  agonies  of  soul,  and  pour  out  their  souls 
before  one  that  is  able  to  do  all  things ;  before  him  they 
may  speak  as  freely  as  ministers :  they  have  a  great 
High  Priest,  through  whom  they  may  come  boldly  at  all 
times,  and  may  vent  themselves  before  a  prayer-hearing 
Father,  without  any  restraint. 

If  the  people  of  God  at  this  day,  instead  of  spending 
time  in  fruitless  disputing,  and  talking  about  opposers, 
and  judging  them,  and  animadverting  upon  the  unreason- 
ableness of  their  talk  and  behavior,  and  its  inconsistence 
with  true  experience,  would  be  more  silent  in  this  way, 
and  open  their  mouths  much  more  before  God,  and  spend 
more  time  in  fasting  and  prayer,  they  would  be  more  in 
the  way  of  a  blessing.  And  if  some  christians  in  the  land, 
that  have  been  complaining  of  their  ministers  and  strug- 
gling in  vain  to  deliver  themselves  from  the  difficulties 
they  have  complained  of  under  their  ministry,  had  said 
and  acted  less  before  men,  and  had  applied  themselves 
with  all  their  might  to  cry  to  God  for  their  ministers,  had 
as  it  were  risen  and  stormed  heaven  with  their  humble, 
fervent,  and  incessant  prayers  for  them,  they  would  have 
been  much  more  in  the  way  of  success. 

God  in  his  providence  appearing  in  the  present  state 
of  things,  especially  calls  on  his  people  in  New  England 
to  be  very  much  in  praying  to  him  for  the  •pouring  out  of 
the  Spirit  upon  ministers  in  the  land.  For  though  it  is  not 
for  us  to  determine,  concerning  particular  ministers,  how 

1^     • 


now   IT    SHOULD   BE    PROMOTED.  431 

mucli  they  have  of  the  Spirit  of  God ;  yet  in  the  general 
it  is  apparent  that  there  is,  at  this  day,  need  of  very 
great  degrees  of  the  presence  of  God  v^^ith  the  ministry 
in  New  England,  much  greater  degrees  of  it  than  have 
hitherto  been  granted  :  they  need  it  for  themselves,  and 
the  church  of  God  stands  in  extreme  need  of  it. 

In  days  of  fasting  and  prayer,  wherein  the  whole  church 
or  congregation  is  concerned,  if  the  whole  day,  besides 
what  is  spent  in  our  families,  was  not  spent  in  the  meet- 
ing-house, but  j)art  of  it  in  particular  praying  companies 
or  societies,  it  would  have  a  tendency  to  animate  and  en- 
gage devotion  more  than  if  the  whole  day  were  spent  in 
public,  where  the  people  are  no  way  active  themselves  in 
the  worship  any  otherwise  than  as  they  join  with  the 
minister.  The  inhabitants  of  many  of  our  towns  are  now 
divided  into  particular  praying  societies,  most  of  the  peo- 
ple, young  and  old,  have  voluntarily  associated  them- 
selves in  distinct  companies  for  mutual  assistance  in  so- 
cial worship  in  private  houses  :  what  I  intend  therefore 
is,  that  days  of  prayer  should  be  spent  partly  in  these 
distinct  praying  companies. 

Such  a  method  of  keeping  a  fast  as  this  has  several 
times  been  proved  :  in  the  forenoon,  after  the  duties  of 
the  family  and  closet,  as  early  as  might  be,  all  the  people 
of  the  congregation  have  gathered  in  their  particular  re- 
ligious societies;  companies  of  men  by  themselves,  and 
companies  of  women  by  themselves  ;  young  men  by  them- 
selves, and  young  women  by  themselves,  and  companies 
of  children  in  all  parts  of  the  town  by  themselves,  as  many 
as  were  capable  of  social  religious  exercises ;  the  boya 
by  themselves,  and  girls  by  themselves  :  and  about  the 
middle  of  the  day,  at  an  appointed  hour,  all  have  met 


432  THOUGHTS   ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

together  in  the  house  of  God,  to  offer  up  public  prayers, 
and  to  hear  a  sermon  suitable  to  the  occasion  :  and  then 
they  have  retired  from  the  house  of  God  again  into  their 
private  societies,  and  spent  the  remaining  part  of  the  day 
in  praying  together  there,  excepting  so  much  as  was  re- 
quisite for  the  duties  of  the  family  and  closet  in  their  own 
houses.  And  it  has  been  found  to  be  of  great  benefit  to 
assist  and  engage  the  minds  of  the  people  in  the  duties 
of  the  day. 

I  have  often  thought  it  would  be  a  thing  very  desirable 
and  very  likely  to  be  followed  with  a  great  blessing,  if 
there  could  be  some  contrivance  that  there  should  be  an 
agreement  of  all  God's  people  in  America  that  are  well 
affected  to  this  work,  to  keep  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer 
to  God,  wherein  we  should  all  unite  on  the  same  day  in 
humbling  ourselves  before  God  for  our  past  long-conti- 
nued lukewarmness  and  unprofitableness,  not  omitting 
humiliation  for  the  errors  that  so  many  of  God's  people 
that  have  been  zealously  affected  towards  this  work, 
through  their  infirmity  and  remaining  blindness  and  cor- 
ruption, have  run  into ;  and  together  with  thanksgivings 
to  God  for  so  glorious  and  wonderful  a  display  of  his 
power  and  grace  in  the  late  outpourings  of  his  Spirit,  to 
address  the  Father  of  mercies,  with  prayers  and  suppli- 
cations and  earnest  cries,  that  he  would  guide  and  direct 
his  own  people,  and  that  he  would  continue  and  still  cai'- 
ry  on  this  work,  and  more  abundantly  and  extensively 
pour  out  his  Spirit,  and  particularly  that  he  would  pour 
out  his  Spirit  upon  ministers  ;  and  that  he  would  bow  the 
heavens  and  come  down,  and  erect  his  glorious  kingdom 
through  the  earth. 

Some  perhaps  may  think  that  its  being  all  on  the  same 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  433 

day  is  a  circumstance  of  no  great  consequence  ;  but  I  can- 
not be  of  that  mind  :  such  a  circumstance  makes  the  union 
and  agreement  of  God's  people  in  his  worship  the  more 
visible,  and  puts  the  greater  honor  upon  God,  and  would 
have  a  great  tendency  to  assist  and  enliven  the  devotions 
of  christians.  It  seems  to  me  it  would  mightily  encourage 
and  animate  God's  saints,  in  humbly  and  earnestly  seek- 
ing to  God  for  such  blessings  which  concern  them  all ; 
and  that  it  would  be  much  for  the  rejoicing  of  all  to  think 
that  at  the  same  time  such  multitudes  of  God's  dear 
children,  far  and  near,  were  sending  up  their  cries  to  the 
same  common  Father  for  the  same  mercies.  Christ 
speaks  of  agreement  in  asking,  as  what  contributes  to 
the  prevalence  of  the  prayers  of  his  people.  Matt.  18  :  19, 
"  Again  I  say  unto  you,  that  if  any  two  of  you  shall  agree 
on  earth  as  touching  any  thing  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall 
be  done  for  them  of  my  Father  which  is  In  heaven."  If 
the  agreement  or  united  purpose  and  appointment  of  but 
two  of  God's  children  would  contribute  much  to  the 
prevalence  of  their  prayers,  how  much  more  the  agree- 
ment of  so  many  thousands !  Christ  delights  greatly  in 
the  union  of  his  people,  as  appears  by  his  prayer  in  the 
17th  of  John;  and  especially  is  the  appearance  of  their 
union  in  worship  lovely  and  attractive  unto  him. 

I  doubt  not  but  such  a  thing  as  I  have  now  mentioned 
is  practicable  without  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  Some  con- 
siderable number  of  ministers  might  meet  together  and 
draw  up  the  proposal,  wherein  a  certain  day  should  be 
pitched  upon,  at  a  sufficient  distance,  endeavoring  therein 
to  avoid  any  other  public  day  that  might  interfere  with 
the  design  in  any  of  the  provinces,  and  the  business  of 

the  day  should  be  particularly  mentioned,  and  these  pro- 
Rev,  of  Rei.  J  9 


434  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

posals  should  be  published  and  sent  abroad  into  all  parts, 
with  a  desire  that  as  many  ministers  as  are  disposed  to 
fall  in  with  them  would  propose  the  matter  to  their  con- 
gregations, and  having  taken  their  consent,  would  sub- 
scribe their  names,  together  with  the  places  of  which 
they  are  ministers,  and  send  back  the  proposals  thus  sub- 
scribed to  the  printer  (the  hands  of  many  ministers  might 
be  to  one  paper;)  and  the  printer  having  received  the 
paper  thus  subscribed  from  all  the  provinces,  might  print 
the  proposals  again  with  all  the  names ;  thus  they  might 
be  sent  abroad  again  with  the  names,  that  God's  people 
might  know  who  are  united  with  them  in  the  affair  :  one 
of  the  ministers  of  Boston  might  be  desired  to  have  the 
oversight  of  printing  and  dispersing  the  proposals.  In 
such  a  way,  perhaps,  might  be  fulfilled,  in  some  measure, 
such  a  general  mourning  and  supplication  of  God's  peo- 
ple as  is  spoken  of,  Zech.  12,  with  which  the  church's 
glorious  day  is  to  be  introduced.  And  such  a  day  might 
be  something  like  the  day  of  atonement  in  Israel,  before 
the  joyful  ye«5^  of  taber7iacles. 

One  thing  more  I  would  mention  concerning  fasting 
and  prayer,  wherein  I  think  there  has  been  a  neglect  in 
ministers,  and  that  is,  that  although  they  recommend  and 
much  insist  on  the  duty  of  secret  prayer  in  their  preach- 
ing, so  little  is  said  about  secret  fasting.  It  is  a  duty  re- 
commended by  our  Savior  to  his  followers,  just  in  like 
manner  as  secret  prayer  is,  as  may  be  seen  by  comparing 
the  5th  and  6th  verses  of  the  6th  chapter  of  Matthew  with 
verses  16-18.  Though  I  do  not  suppose  that  secret  fast- 
ing is  to  be  practised  in  a  stated  manner  and  steady  course 
as  secret  prayer,  yet  it  seems  to  me  it  is  a  duty  that  all 
professing  christians  should  practise,  and  frequently  prac- 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  435 

tise.  There  are  many  occasions  of  both  a  spiritual  and 
temporal  nature  that  properly  require  it,  and  there  are 
many  particular  mercies  that  we  desire  for  ourselves  or 
friends,  that  it  would  be  proper  in  this  manner  to  seek 
of  God. 

Another  thing  I  would  also  mention,  wherein  it  ap- 
pears to  me  that  there  has  been  an  omission  with  respect 
to  the  external  worship  of  God.  There  has  been  of  late 
a  great  increase  of  preaching  the  word,  and  a  great  in- 
crease of  social  prayer,  and  a  great  increase  of  singing 
praises  :  these  external  duties  of  religion  are  attended 
much  more  frequently  than  they  used  to  be ;  yet  I  cannot 
imderstand  that  there  is  any  increase  of  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Lord's  supper^  or  that  God's  people  do  any 
more  frequently  commemorate  the  dying  love  of  their 
Redeemer  in  this  sacred  memorial  of  it  than  they  used 
to  do  :  though  I  do  not  see  why  an  increase  of  love  to 
Christ  should  not  dispose  christians  as  much  to  increase 
in  this  as  in  those  other  duties  ;  or  why  it  is  not  as  proper 
that  Christ's  disciples  should  abound  in  this  duty  in  this 
joyful  season,  which  is  spiritually  supper-time,  a  feast- 
day  with  God's  saints,  wherein  Christ  is  so  abundantly 
manifesting  his  dying  love  to  souls,  and  is  dealing  forth 
so  liberally  of  the  precious  fruits  of  his  death.  It  seems 
plain  by  the  Scripture  that  the  primitive  christians  were 
wont  to  celebrate  their  memorial  of  the  sufferings  of  their 
dear  Redeemer  every  Lord's  day^  and  so  I  believe  it  will 
be  again  in  the  church  of  Christ,  in  days  that  are  ap- 
proaching. And  whether  we  attend  this  holy  and  sweet 
ordinance  so  often  now  or  not,  yet  I  cannot  but  think  it 
would  become  us  at  such  a  time  as  this  to  attend  it  much 
oftener  than  is  commonly  done  in  the  land. 


436  THOUflHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

5.    We  should  he  faitliful  in  moral  duties. 

But  another  thing  I  would  mention,  which  it  is  of  much 
greater  importance  that  we  should  attend  to ;  and  that  is 
the  duty  that  is  incumbent  upon  God's  people  at  this  day, 
to  take  heed,  that  while  they  abound  in  the  external  du- 
ties of  devotion,  such  as  praying,  hearing,  singing  and  at- 
tending religious  meetings,  there  be  a  proportionable  care 
to  abound  in  moral  duties,  such  as  acts  of  righteousness, 
truth,  meekness,  forgiveness,  and  love  towards  our  neigh- 
bor; which  are  of  much  greater  importance  in  the  sight 
of  God  than  all  the  externals  of  his  worship.  Of  this  our 
Savior  was  particularly  careful  that  men  should  be  well 
aware :  Matt.  9  :  13,  "  But  go  ye  and  learn  what  that 
meaneth,  I  will  have  mercy  and  not  sacrifice ;"  and  chap. 
12  :  7,  "  But  if  ye  had  known  what  this  meaneth,  I  will 
have  mercy  and  not  sacrifice,  ye  would  not  have  con- 
demned the  guiltless." 

The  internal  acts  and  princi^^les  of  the  worship  of  God, 
or  the  worship  of  the  heart  in  the  love  and  fear  of  God, 
trust  in  God,  and  resignation  to  God,  &c.  are  the  most 
essential  and  important  of  all  duties  of  religion  whatso- 
ever ;  for  therein  consists  the  essence  of  all  religion.  But 
of  this  inward  religion  there  are  two  sorts  of  external 
manifestations  or  expressions.  The  one  sort  are  outward 
acts  of  worship,  such  as  meeting  in  religious  assemblies, 
attending  ordinances,  or  outward  institutions,  and  honor- 
ing God  with  gestures,  such  as  bowing  or  kneeling  before 
him,  or  with  words,  in  speaking  honorably  of  him,  in 
prayer,  praise,  or  religious  conference.  And  the  other 
sort  are  the  expressions  of  our  love  to  God,  by  obeying 
his  moral  commands,  of  self-denial,  righteousness,  meek- 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  437 

ness  and  christian  love,  in  our  behavior  among  men.  And 
the  latter  are  of  vastly  the  greatest  importance  in  the 
christian  life.  God  makes  little  account  of  the  former  in 
comparison  of  them.  They  are  abundantly  more  insisted 
on  by  the  prophets  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  by  Christ 
and  his  apostles  in  the  New. 

When  these  two  kinds  of  duties  are  spoken  of  together, 
the  latter  are  ever  more  greatly  preferred.    As  in  Isaiah, 

1  :  12-18,  and  Amos,  5  :  21,  &c.  and  Micah,  6  :  7,  8,  and 
Isaiah,  58  :  5-7,  and  Zechariah,  7  :  1-10,  and  Jeremiah, 

2  :  1-7,  and  Matthew,  15  :  3,  &c.  Often  when  the  times 
were  very  corrupt  in  Israel  the  people  abounded  in  the 
former  kind  of  duties,  but  they  were  at  such  times  always 
notoriously  deficient  in  the  latter;  as  the  prophets  com- 
plain, Isa.  58  :  1-4 ;  Jer.  6  :  13,  compared  with  verse  20. 
Hypocrites  and  self-righteous  persons  much  more  com- 
monly abound  in  the  former  kind  of  duties  than  the  lat- 
ter ;  as  Christ  remarks  of  the  pharisees.  Matt.  23  :  14, 
25  and  34.  When  the  Scripture  directs  us  to  shozv  our 
faith  hy  our  works,  it  is  principally  the  latter  sort  are  in- 
tended, as  appears  by  James,  2  :  8-26,  and  1  John,  2  :  3, 
7-11.  And  we  are  to  be  judged  at  the  last  day,  especial- 
ly by  these  latter  sort  of  works,  as  is  evident  by  the  ac- 
count we  have  of  the  day  of  judgment  in  the  25th  of  Mat- 
thew. External  acts  of  worship  in  words,  and  gestures, 
and  outward  forms,  are  of  little  use  but  as  signs  of  some- 
thing else,  or  as  they  are  a  profession  of  inward  worship  : 
they  are  not  so  properly  showing  our  religion  by  our 
deeds,  for  they  are  only  showing  our  religion  by  words 
or  an  outward  profession.  But  he  that  shows  religion  in 
the  other  sort  of  duties,  shows  it  is  something  more  than 
a  profession  of  words,  he  shows  it  in  deeds.    And  though 

19* 


438  THOUGHTS    ON    THE     REVIVAL. 

deeds  may  be  hypocritical  as  well  as  v^ords,  yet  in  them- 
selves they  are  of  greater  importance,  for  they  are  much 
more  profitable  to  ourselves  and  our  neighbor. 

We  cannot  express  our  love  to  God  by  doing  any  thing 
that  is  profitable  to  God ;  God  v^ould  therefore  have  us 
do  it  in  those  things  that  are  profitable  to  our  neighbors, 
whom  he  has  constituted  his  receivers  ;  our  goodness  ex- 
tends not  to  God  but  to  our  fellow-christians.  The  latter 
sort  of  duties  puts  greater  honor  upon  God,  because  there 
is  greater  self-denial  in  them.  The  external  acts  of  wor- 
ship, consisting  in  bodily  gestures,  words  and  sounds,  are 
the  cheapest  part  of  religion,  and  least  contrary  to  our 
lusts.  The  difficulty  of  thorough  external  religion  does 
not  lie  in  them.  Let  wicked  men  enjoy  their  covetous- 
ness  and  their  pride,  their  malice,  envy  and  revenge,  and 
their  sensuality  and  voluptuousness  in  their  behavior 
amongst  men,  and  they  will  be  willing  to  compound  the 
matter  with  God,  and  submit  to  what  forms  of  worship 
you  please,  and  as  many  as  you  please,  as  is  manifest  in 
the  Jews  of  old,  in  the  days  of  the  prophets,  and  the  pha- 
risees  in  Christ's  time,  and  the  papists  and  Mohammedans 
at  this  day. 

At  a  time  when  there  is  an  appearance  of  the  approach 
of  any  glorious  revival  of  God's  church,  God  especially 
calls  his  professing  people  to  the  practice  of  moral  duties. 
Isaiah,  56  :  1,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Keep  ye  judgment 
and  do  justice ;  for  my  salvation  is  near  to  come,  and  my 
righteousness  to  be  revealed."  So  when  John  preached 
that  the  kingdom  of  heaven  was  at  hand,  and  cried  to  the 
people,  "  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  his  paths 
straight,"  as  we  have  an  account,  Luke,  3  :  4,  the  people 
asked  him,  What  they  should  do  ?  He  answers,  "  He  that 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  439 

hath  two  coats,  let  him  impart  to  him  that  hath  none,  and 
he  that  hath  meat,  let  him  do  likewise."  The  publicans 
said,  What  shall  we  do  ]  He  answers,  "  Exact  no  more 
than  that  which  is  appointed  you."  And  the  soldiers 
asked  him,  What  shall  we  do  ]  He  replies,  *'  Do  vio- 
lence to  no  man ;  neither  accuse  any  falsely ;  and  be  con- 
tent with  your  wages."  verses  10-14. 

God's  people,  at  such  a  time  as  this,  ought  especially 
to  abound  in  deeds  of  charity  or  alms-givmg.  We  gene- 
rally, in  these  days,  seem  to  fall  far  below  the  true  spirit 
and  practice  of  Christianity  with  regard  to  this  duty,  and 
seem  to  have  but  little  notion  of  it  so  far  as  I  can  under- 
stand the  New  Testament,  At  a  time  when  God  is  so 
liberal  of  spiritual  things,  we  ought  not  to  be  strait-handed 
towards  him  and  sparing  of  our  temporal  things.  So  far 
as  I  can  judge  by  the  Scripture,  there  is  no  external  duty 
whatsoever  by  which  persons  will  be  so  much  in  the  way, 
not  only  of  receiving  temporal  benefits  but  also  spiritual 
blessings,  the  influences  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  in  the  heart, 
in  divine  discoveries  and  spiritual  consolations,  I  think 
it  would  be  unreasonable  to  understand  those  promises, 
made  to  this  duty,  in  the  58th  chapter  of  Isaiah,  in  a  sense 
exclusive  of  spiritual  discoveries  and  comforts :  **  Is  it 
not  to  deal  thy  bread  to  the  hungry,  and  that  thou  bring 
the  poor  that  are  cast  out  to  thy  house  ]  when  thou  seest 
the  naked  that  thou  cover  him,  and  that  thou  hide  not 
thyself  from  thine  own  flesh  %  Then  shall  thy  light  break 
forth  as  the  morning,  and  thy  health  shall  spring  forth 
speedily,  and  thy  righteousness  shall  go  before  thee,  and 
the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  thy  rere-ward ;  then  shalt 
thou  call,  and  the  Lord  shall  answer ;  thou  shalt  cry,  and 
he  shall  say.  Here  I  am.    If  thou  take  away  from  the 


440  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

midst  of  thee  the  yoke,  the  putting  forth  of  the  finger, 
and  speaking  vanity  ;  and  if  thou  draw  out  thy  soul  to  the 
hungry,  and  satisfy  the  afflicted  soul,  then  shall  thy  light 
rise  in  obscurity,  and  thy  darkness  be  as  the  noon  day ; 
and  the  Lord  shall  guide  thee  continually,  and  satisfy  thy 
soul  in  drought,  and  make  fat  thy  bones ;  and  thou  shalt 
be  like  a  w^atered  garden,  and  like  a  spring  of  water, 
whose  waters  fail  not." 

So,  that  giving  to  the  poor  is  the  way  to  receive  spiri- 
tual blessings,  is  manifest  by  Psalm  112  :  4,  &c.  "  Unto 
the  upright  there  ariseth  light  in  the  darkness ;  he  is  gi*a- 
cious,  and  full  of  compassion,  and  righteous  :  a  good  man 
showeth  favor,  and  lendeth,  he  will  guide  his  affairs  with 
discretion;  surely  he  shall  not  be  moved  for  ever;  the 
righteous  shall  be  in  everlasting  remembrance ;  he  shall 
not  be  afraid  of  evil  tidings,  his  heart  is  fixed  trusting  in 
the  Lord;  his  heart  is  established,  he  shall  not  be  afraid, 
until  he  see  his  desire  upon  his  enemies  :  he  hath  dis- 
persed, he  hath  given  to  the  poor ;  his  horn  shall  be  ex- 
alted with  honor."  That  this  is  one  likely  means  to  ob- 
tain assurance  is  evident  by  1  John,  3  :  18,  19,  "  My  lit- 
tle children,  let  us  not  love  in  word,  neither  in  tongue, 
but  in  deed  and  in  truth ;  and  hereby  we  know  that  we 
are  of  the  truth,  and  shall  assure  our  hearts  before  him." 
We  have  a  remarkable  instance  in  Abraham,  of  God's 
rewarding  deeds  of  charity  with  sweet  discoveries  of  him- 
self, when  he  had  been  remarkably  charitable  to  his  bro- 
ther Lot  and  the  people  that  he  had  redeemed  out  of  cap- 
tivity with  him,  by  exposing  his  life  to  rescue  them,  and 
had  retaken  not  only  the  persons  but  all  the  goods,  the 
spoil  that  had  been  taken  by  Chedorlaomer  and  the  kings 
that  were  with  him,  and  the  king  of  Sodom  offered  him. 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  441 

that  if  he  would  give  him  the  persons  he  might  take  the 
goods  to  himself;  Abraham  refused  to  take  any  thing,  even 
so  much  as  a  thread  or  shoe  latchet,  but  returned  all.  He 
might  have  greatly  enriched  himself  if  he  had  taken  the 
spoils  to  himself,  for  they  w^ere  the  spoils  of  five  w^ealthy 
kings  and  their  kingdoms,  yet  he  coveted  them  not :  the 
king  and  people  of  Sodom  vv^ere  now  become  objects  of 
charity,  having  been  stripped  of  all  by  their  enemies, 
therefore  Abraham  generously  bestowed  all  upon  them ; 
as  we  have  an  account  in  Genesis,  14  :  21-24.  And  he 
was  soon  rewarded  for  it;  by  a  blessed  discovery  that 
God  made  of  himself  to  him,  as  we  have  an  account  in 
the  next  words  :  *'  After  these  things  the  word  of  the 
Lord  came  unto  Abraham  in  a  vision,  saying,  Fear  not, 
Abraham,  I  am  thy  shield,  and  thy  exceeding  great  re- 
ward," "  I  am  thy  shield,  to  defend  thee  in  battle,  as  I 
have  now  done ;  and  though  thou  hast  charitably  refused 
to  take  any  reward  for  exposing  thy  life  to  rescue  this 
people,  yet  fear  not,  thou  shalt  not  lose,  thou  shalt  have 
a  reward,  I  am  thy  exceeding  great  reward." 

When  Christ  was  upon  earth  he  was  poor  and  an  ob- 
ject of  charity;  and  during  the  time  of  his  public  minis- 
try he  was  supported  by  the  charity  of  some  of  his  fol- 
lowers, and  particularly  certain  women,  of  whom  we 
read,  Luke,  8  :  2,  3.  And  these  women  were  rewarded, 
by  being  peculiarly  favored  with  gracious  manifesta- 
tions which  Christ  made  of  himself  to  them.  He  disco- 
vered himself  first  to  them  after  his  resurrection,  before 
the  twelve  disciples :  they  first  saw  a  vision  of  glorious 
angels,  who  spake  comfortably  to  them ;  and  then  Christ 
appeared  to  them,  and  spake  peace  to  them,  saying,  All 
hail,  be  not  afraid;  and  they  were  admitted  to  come  and 


442  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

hold  Mm  hy  the  feet,  and  worship  him.  Matt.  28.  And 
though  we  cannot  now  be  charitable  in  this  way  to  Christ 
in  person,  who  in  his  exalted  state  is  infinitely  above  the 
need  of  our  charity,  yet  we  may  be  charitable  to  Christ 
now  as  well  as  they  then ;  for  though  Christ  is  not  here, 
yet  he  has  left  others  in  his  room  to  be  his  receivers,  and 
they  are  the  poor.  Christ  is  yet  poor  in  his  members ; 
and  he  that  gives  to  them  lends  to  the  Lord ;  and  Christ 
tells  us  that  he  shall  look  on  what  is  done  to  them  as 
done  to  him. 

Rebekah,  in  her  marriage  with  Isaac,  was  undoubtedly 
a  remarkable  type  of  the  church  in  her  espousals  to  the 
Lord  Jesus.  But  she  found  her  husband  in  doing  deeds 
of  charity,  agreeably  to  the  prayer  of  Abraham's  servant, 
who  prayed  that  this  might  be  the  thing  that  might  dis- 
tinguish and  mark  out  the  virgin  that  was  to  be  Isaac's 
wife.  So  Cornelius  was  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  in  this  way.  "  He  was  a  devout  man,  and  one  that 
feared  God,  with  all  his  house ;  which  gave  much  alms  to 
the  people,  and  prayed  to  God  alway.  And  an  angel  ap- 
peared to  him,  and  said  to  him,  thy  prayers  and  thine 
alms  are  come  up  for  a  memorial  before  God ;  and  now 
send  men  to  Joppa,  and  call  for  one  Simon,  whose  sur- 
name i«  Peter,"  &c.  Acts,  10  :  2-5.  And  we  have  an  ac- 
count in  the  following  parts  of  the  chapter,  how  God  by 
Peter's  preaching  revealed  Christ  to  Coraelius  and  his 
family,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost's  descending  upon  and  fill- 
ing their  hearts  with  joy  and  their  mouths  with  praises. 

Some  may  possibly  object  that  for  persons  to  do  deeds 
of  charity,  in  hope  of  obtaining  spiritual  blessings  and 
comforts  in  this  way,  would  seem  to  show  a  self-righteous 
spirit,  as  though  they  would  offer  something  to  God  to 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  443 

purchase  these  favors.  But  if  this  be  a  good  objection,  it 
may  be  made  against  every  duty  whatsoever.  All  exter- 
nal duties  of  the  first  table  will  be  excluded  by  it,  as  well 
as  those  of  the  second.  First-table  duties  have  as  direct 
a  tendency  to  raise  self-righteous  persons'  expectations 
of  receiving  something  from  God  on  account  of  them,  as 
second-table  duties ;  and  on  some  accounts  more,  for 
those  duties  are  more  immediately  offered  to  God,  and 
therefore  persons  are  more  ready  to  expect  something 
from  God  for  them.  But  no  duty  is  to  be  neglected  for 
fear  of  making  a  righteousness  of  it ;  and  I  have  always 
observed  that  those  professors  that  are  most  partial  in 
their  duty,  most  exact  and  abundant  in  external  duties 
of  the  first  table,  and  slack  as  to  those  of  the  second,  are 
the  most  self-righteous. 

If  God's  people  in  this  land  were  once  brought  to 
abound  in  such  deeds  of  love,  as  much  as  in  praying,  hear- 
ing, singing,  and  religious  meetings  and  conference,  it 
would  be  a  most  blessed  omen :  there  is  nothing  that 
would  have  a  greater  tendency  to  bring  the  God  of  love 
dovni  from  heaven  to  the  earth  :  so  amiable  would  be  the 
sight  in  the  eyes  of  our  loving  and  exalted  Redeemer, 
that  it  would  soon,  as  it  were,  fetch  him  down  from  his 
throne  in  heaven,  to  set  up  his  tabernacle  with  men  on 
the  earth,  and  dwell  with  them.  I  do  not  remember  ever 
to  have  read  of  any  remarkable  outpouring  of  the  Spirit, 
that  continued  any  long  time,  but  what  was  attended 
with  an  abounding  in  this  duty.  So  we  know  it  was  with 
that  great  effusion  of  the  Spirit  that  began  at  Jerusalem 
in  the  apostles'  days  ;  and  so  in  the  late  remarkable  re- 
vival of  religion  in  Saxony,  which  began  by  the  labors 
of  the  famous  Professor  Francke,  and  has  now  been  car- 


444  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

ried  on  for  about  thirty  years,  and  has  spread  its  happy 
influences  into  many  parts  of  the  world ;  it  w^as  begun 
and  has  been  carried  on  by  a  wonderful  practice  of  this 
duty.  And  the  remarkable  blessing  that  God  has  given 
Mr.  Whitefield,  and  the  great  success  with  which  he  has 
crowned  his  labors,  may  well  be  thought  to  be  very  much 
owing  to  his  laying  out  himself  so  abundantly  in  charita- 
ble designs.  And  it  is  foretold  that  God's  people  shall 
abound  in  this  duty  in  the  time  of  the  great  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit  that  shall  be  in  the  latter  days.  Isa.  32  :  5 
and  8,  *'  The  vile  person  shall  no  more  be  called  liberal, 
nor  the  churl  said  to  be  bountiful.  But  the  liberal  devis- 
eth  liberal  things,  and  by  liberal  things  shall  he  stand." 
To  promote  a  reformation,  with  respect  to  all  sorts  of 
duties  among  a  professing  people,  one  proper  means, 
and  that  which  is  recommended  by  frequent  Scripture 
examples,  is  their  solemn,  public  rejiewing  their  covenant 
toith  God.  And  doubtless  it  would  greatly  tend  to  pro- 
mote this  work  in  the  land,  if  the  congregations  of  God's 
people  could  generally  be  brought  to  this.  If  a  draught 
of  a  covenant  should  be  made  by  their  ministers,  where- 
in there  should  be  an  express  mention  of  those  particular 
duties  that  the  people  of  the  respective  congregations 
have  been  observed  to  be  most  prone  to  neglect,  and 
those  particular  sins  that  they  have  heretofore  especially 
fallen  into,  or  that  it  may  be  apprehended  they  are 
especially  in  danger  of,  whereby  they  may  prevent  or 
resist  the  motions  of  God's  Spirit,  and  the  matter  should 
be  fully  proposed  and  explained  to  the  people,  and  they 
have  sufficient  opportunity  given  them  for  consideration, 
and  then  they  should  be  led,  all  that  are  capable  of  un- 
derstanding, particularly  to  subscribe  the  covenant,  and 


HOW    IT    SHOULD    BE    PROMOTED.  445 

also  should  all  appear  together,  on  a  day  of  prayer  and 
fasting,  publicly  to  own  it  before  God  in  his  house,  as 
their  vow  to  the  Lord  ;  hereby  congregations  of  chris- 
tians would  do  that  which  would  be  beautiful,  and  would 
put  honor  upon  God,  and  be  very  profitable  to  them- 
selves. 

Such  a  thing  as  this  was  attended  with  a  very  wonder- 
ful blessing  in  Scotland,  and  followed  with  a  great  in- 
crease of  the  blessed  tokens  of  the  presence  of  God  and 
remarkable  outpourings  of  his  Spirit ;  as  the  author  of 
The  Fulfilling  of  tJie  ScrijJlu?^  informs,  p.  186,  5th  edition. 
It  must  be  proposed  to  a  people  when  they  are  in  a 
good  mood,  when  considerable  religious  impressions  are 
prevailing  among  them;  otherwise  they  will  hardly  be 
induced  to  this  ;  but  innumerable  will  be  their  objections 
and  cavils  against  it. 

One  thing  more  I  would  mention,  which,  if  God  should 
still  carry  on  this  work,  would  tend  much  to  promote  it, 
and  that  is  that  a  history  should  he  published  once  a 
month,  or  once  a  fortnight,  of  the  progress  of  it,  by  one  of 
the  ministers  of  Boston,  who  are  near  the  press,  and  are 
most  conveniently  situated  to  receive  accounts  from  all 
parts.  It  has  been  found  by  experience,  that  the  tidings 
of  remarkable  effects  of  the  power  and  grace  of  God  in 
any  place,  tend  greatly  to  awaken  and  engage  the  minds 
of  persons  in  other  places.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted, 
therefore,  that  some  means  should  not  be  used  for  the 
most  speedy,  most  extensive  and  certain  giving  informa- 
tion of  such  things,  that  the  country  should  not  be  left 
only  to  the  slow,  partial,  and  doubtful  information,  and 
false  representations  of  common  report. 

Thus  I  have  (I  hope  by  the  help  of  God)  finished  what 

Revival  of  Eel.  20 


r^ 


446  THOUGHTS    ON    THE    REVIVAL. 

I  proposed.  I  have  taken  the  more  pains  in  it,  because 
it  appears  to  me  that  now  God  is  giving  us  the  most 
happy  season  to  attempt  a  universal  reformation  that 
ever  was  given  in  New  England.  And  it  is  a  thing  most 
deeply  to  be  deprecated,  that  we  should  fail  of  that 
which  would  be  so  glorious,  for  want  of  being  sensible 
of  our  opportunity,  or  being  aware  of  those  things  that 
tend  to  hinder  it,  or  our  taking  improper  courses  to  ob- 
tain it,  or  not  being  sensible  in  what  way  God  expects 
we  should  seek  it.  If  it  should  please  God  to  bless  any 
means  for  the  convincing  the  country  of  his  hand  in  this 
work,  and  bringing  them  fully  and  freely  to  acknowledge 
his  glorious  power  and  grace  in  it,  and  to  engage  with 
one  heart  and  soul,  and  by  due  methods,  to  endeavor  to 
promote  it,  it  would  be  a  dispensation  of  divine  Provi- 
dence that  would  have  a  most  glorious  aspect,  happily 
signifying  the  approach  of  great  and  glorious  things  to 
the  church  of  God,  and  justly  causing  us  to  hope  that 
Christ  would  speedily  come,  to  set  up  his  kingdom  of 
light,  holiness,  peace  and  joy  on  earth,  as  is  foretold  in 
his  word. — Amen  :  even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus  ! 


THE    END. 


ciiH^ 


DATE  DUE 


,,_ 


GAYLORO 


■'"■'^'- 


